Most affordable California cities (Los Angeles, Riverside: rentals, loft, home)

[Thunderbird]

I like the desert. The wide open space and views are my favorite. Yes, there are some problems out here with crime. More population, more problems come with it.
It's the tailgaitors and the traffic that I'm not really happy about.

It is affordable compared to most places in California, and it's a lot safer than Watts and many other places down the hill.

Here are some pictures taken a couple years ago of Apple Valley during a sand storm and another of the snow.
The last one is of Hesperia Lakes taken last year during the Blue Grass Festival.

Just depends on what your needs are, what you like, etc.

[graffixjones]

Originally Posted by cherylsass123

Hi, I came across this site while first working on something in my novel and looking up monticello FL ; then decided to research some rural seemingly affordable northern california counties ; as I am considering moving either there or possibly rural oregon.

CONNECTICUT IS VERY EXPENSIVE ! SO IS NEW YORK CITY AREA ; MUCH LIKE SAN FRANCISCO CA. [ actually manhattan is higher even in harlem!] right now I am on an SSDI check and being displaced from mom's condo here in yuppie semi-rural , yet relatively fast paced and full of stuck up people southbury,CT . and even if I could get section 8 ? hartford? bridgeport? even ansonia or torrington all sucks full of hip hop gangstas [ actually willimantic out east is our cheapest with 1 BR apts for $590 and up and yes, gangstas!]

that, and I find most of the people here in CT to be some of the coldest, most cliquish,family-oriented, busy all the time , overly " modest" and totally UPTIGHT when it comes to fashion and " what not to wear" ; people I have ever seen. it is hard to make friend here unless you fit in as " one of them" and " know how to present yourself to live in their world ! "

but being a transexual woman in transition ? I have live someplace where I have rights , and at least this is one thing good about connecticut . calif.;new york; vermont; new mexico; illinois; maine;oregon;washington state; rhode island, and mass.[ both expensive like CT] are the few states in which they will allow me to keep my female gender designation upon recieving that state's driver's license! [ FORGET FLORIDA! which is not that cheap anymore, and the SOUTHERN " bible-belt " STATES! cheap but very red of neck! ]

I was thinking about upstate new york , loads of mobiles, apts, and small houses for $450-$550 within 4-5 hours drive of NYC.very pretty,green mountains,very poor and somewhat redneck/hillbilly with many artists, and quiet! but with the 7 month long " snowbelt" winters ? I re-thought about that one . vermont is nice , but now almost as expensive as connecticut ! and COLD IN WINTER . being that my low cost clinic where my endocrinologist is at is in manhattan, NYC ; this was why I thought of both upstate NY and VT ; to be within 3-5 hours of NYC .

and so, I am looking at siskiyou, humboldt, trinity, maybe lassen, shasta, or butte. that and also , southern oregon seems to be affordable, somewhat, as well , and from what I've heard ; has many laid back and reasonably open minded people similar to northern california.

finding a clinic similar to callen lorde , well that is the best reason to live in the big city , I guess ; as san francisco does have one . but I have heard that medi-cal covers hormones , endocrinologists, and well [ though they deny this! ] according to national center for lesbian rights ; the SRS in part or full if it is " medically nessesary" according to your appeals claim; for CA residents!

after a few rides on those crowded subways in NYC , and the aggravating traffic and tailgaters even here on all of connecticut's overcrowded " country roads" ; I decided I'd rather live away from " yuppieville" and " hip hop ghettoville" in some trailer or small house ; and well ; both northern CA and southern OR seem to have the lifestyle I want; within a state that has both hate crime laws and anti-discrimination laws in place [ forget mississippi, texas, or south carolina! ]

I currently live in Butte County, and while my town is not too bad as far as culture goes, we're second behind in San Diego in housing prices vs. real wages in the entire nation!

Oroville is probably the last affordable enclave in our county, but the economy sucks, unless you want to work at Home Depot or WalMart, and it has the worst meth problem in the county.

One thing to keep in mind about California... if you can find someplace affordable, it's because nobody wants to live there!
If it's affordable, it has problems that are keeping Californians away... and in today's market, where everybody is looking for a more affordable place to live, that should be quite telling.

Just my own personal experience.

Also, while I agree that the high desert is quite beautiful, the meth labs and corpses would keep me from ever wanting to live there.

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by graffixjones

I currently live in Butte County, and while my town is not too bad as far as culture goes, we're second behind in San Diego in housing prices vs. real wages in the entire nation!

Oroville is probably the last affordable enclave in our county, but the economy sucks, unless you want to work at Home Depot or WalMart, and it has the worst meth problem in the county.

One thing to keep in mind about California... if you can find someplace affordable, it's because nobody wants to live there!
If it's affordable, it has problems that are keeping Californians away... and in today's market, where everybody is looking for a more affordable place to live, that should be quite telling.

Just my own personal experience.

Also, while I agree that the high desert is quite beautiful, the meth labs and corpses would keep me from ever wanting to live there.

You're right in that the least desirable areas of the state also happen to be the least expensive. There was a thread on here sometime ago mentioning Bombay Beach, one of the little towns on the shore of the Salton Sea out in the desert in Imperial County. Someone tried to post a picture from Wikipedia, which is below.



Is that place a dive or what?

[artichoke63]

The high desert is not crappy, it's gorgeous, and you're only a few hours from Los Angeles if you feel like getting back to the metropolis. Other places around Los Angeles are affordable but you might be stepping into some questionable areas.

Artie

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

The high desert is not crappy, it's gorgeous, and you're only a few hours from Los Angeles if you feel like getting back to the metropolis. Other places around Los Angeles are affordable but you might be stepping into some questionable areas.

Artie

Compton comes to mind immediately.

[Sorcerer68]

The OP asked for cities so I'm assuming he doesn't want to be in the middle of nowhere...

Long Beach has some rapidly changing areas. Current best bargains are found in Rose Park and another historic district just west of downtown. Prices in LB have taken the biggest hit in this market slump. Gentrification is going full-steam in these two areas and prices are still low. You can still get a small house in the 200's.

[crownheightsnative]

affordable/California... good luck.

It's all relative and while the more affordable places have certain sacrifices, in general it may be well worth it.

I am a New Yorker (born/raised in Manhattan) and have made work related moves to CA, HI, PA, BZ, NV, NOLA, and more.

I was living in Los Angeles when I made my first trip to the desert (Palm Springs) and I bought a house there so I could have a place to get away on the weekends from a hectic workweek.

Now I live here and no longer work primarily in the city.

Another place I'd recommend is Long Beach.

[VLYS]

Originally Posted by cherylsass123

Hi, I came across this site while first working on something in my novel and looking up monticello FL ; then decided to research some rural seemingly affordable northern california counties ; as I am considering moving either there or possibly rural oregon.

CONNECTICUT IS VERY EXPENSIVE ! SO IS NEW YORK CITY AREA ; MUCH LIKE SAN FRANCISCO CA. [ actually manhattan is higher even in harlem!] right now I am on an SSDI check and being displaced from mom's condo here in yuppie semi-rural , yet relatively fast paced and full of stuck up people southbury,CT . and even if I could get section 8 ? hartford? bridgeport? even ansonia or torrington all sucks full of hip hop gangstas [ actually willimantic out east is our cheapest with 1 BR apts for $590 and up and yes, gangstas!]

that, and I find most of the people here in CT to be some of the coldest, most cliquish,family-oriented, busy all the time , overly " modest" and totally UPTIGHT when it comes to fashion and " what not to wear" ; people I have ever seen. it is hard to make friend here unless you fit in as " one of them" and " know how to present yourself to live in their world ! "

but being a transexual woman in transition ? I have live someplace where I have rights , and at least this is one thing good about connecticut . calif.;new york; vermont; new mexico; illinois; maine;oregon;washington state; rhode island, and mass.[ both expensive like CT] are the few states in which they will allow me to keep my female gender designation upon recieving that state's driver's license! [ FORGET FLORIDA! which is not that cheap anymore, and the SOUTHERN " bible-belt " STATES! cheap but very red of neck! ]

I was thinking about upstate new york , loads of mobiles, apts, and small houses for $450-$550 within 4-5 hours drive of NYC.very pretty,green mountains,very poor and somewhat redneck/hillbilly with many artists, and quiet! but with the 7 month long " snowbelt" winters ? I re-thought about that one . vermont is nice , but now almost as expensive as connecticut ! and COLD IN WINTER . being that my low cost clinic where my endocrinologist is at is in manhattan, NYC ; this was why I thought of both upstate NY and VT ; to be within 3-5 hours of NYC .

and so, I am looking at siskiyou, humboldt, trinity, maybe lassen, shasta, or butte. that and also , southern oregon seems to be affordable, somewhat, as well , and from what I've heard ; has many laid back and reasonably open minded people similar to northern california.

finding a clinic similar to callen lorde , well that is the best reason to live in the big city , I guess ; as san francisco does have one . but I have heard that medi-cal covers hormones , endocrinologists, and well [ though they deny this! ] according to national center for lesbian rights ; the SRS in part or full if it is " medically nessesary" according to your appeals claim; for CA residents!

after a few rides on those crowded subways in NYC , and the aggravating traffic and tailgaters even here on all of connecticut's overcrowded " country roads" ; I decided I'd rather live away from " yuppieville" and " hip hop ghettoville" in some trailer or small house ; and well ; both northern CA and southern OR seem to have the lifestyle I want; within a state that has both hate crime laws and anti-discrimination laws in place [ forget mississippi, texas, or south carolina! ]

LOL...I really hope no one actually believes all your
mumbojumbo about CT residents to be TRUE!

[Roaddog]

You should be able to pick up a nice trailer in Barstow or Boron......Sweet

[greatbasinguide]

I would think the least expensive towns would be in an area where cattle ranching and logging have shut down, dying towns up north CA where the citizens are out of work millworkers, loggers, and cowhands. They would welcome transgender people, (that was humor). The cheapest places to live in CA are the trailer parks along the Colorado River. Real open minded folk there.