9 California towns where you can still snap up a home for $150K

Daily Mail​

16-06-2025

California is well known for its red hot property market - with the average home in the state now valued at more than $1 million. Yet despite these eye-watering headline property prices, affordable real estate in the Golden State does still exist - if you know where you look. Indeed, there are nine towns where homes can be snatched up for just $150,000 or less, LA Times reports. The only catch is that you may need to venture a fair way off the beaten track.
Some of the state's cheapest properties lie near the Oregon border in towns such as Dorris, Macdoel, and Tutelake. Each are home to fewer than 1,000 people and set amid agricultural landscapes. Another example is Trona, a town steeped in history and nestled within the desert, which longtime resident Ann Epperly told LA Times remains a sanctuary for those seeking an escape from city life.
'It's gone downhill, but it seems to be coming back a bit,' Epperly, 80, told the LA Times while describing Trona. She explained how the once-bustling town was built on the mining and the production of borax, an ingredient in glass products like car windshields.
But despite its decline over the years, Trona still holds value for those seeking tranquility and a place away from the urban lifestyle. And living 'off the beaten path' has its benefits, she told the outlet. 'It's quiet, you don't get the hubbub of so many people' and 'cars running over you,' she added.
Towns such as Trona face other challenges - with infrastructure and amenities often lacking, and no essential services for miles. The closest hospital and Walmart are both 25 miles away. But Epperly said she loves the people of Trona, and the freedom to 'ride horses all over town.' Despite the challenges, individuals who seek refuge from crowded cityscapes, have led towns like Trona to see a surge in demand.
Tourists are also beginning to discover the beauty of these desert landscapes, bringing hope for economic revival, Epperly said. 'I think LA has found Trona,' she told the Times. Real estate agent Sonney Berri emphasized the recent uptick in interest, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trona, a 'desolate area that was very much thriving back in the '50s and '60s,' was littered with abandoned homes after plants closed decades ago,' Berri, 49 told the LA Times. Now, 'people are fixing them up and making the community better,' he added. Trona's peak traces back to the early 1900s when it thrived as a company town, bustling with businesses and activities.
Similarly, towns like Hinkley, which inspired the Hollywood blockbuster 'Erin Brockovich,' about a groundwater contamination lawsuit causing disease and death in the area, have also maintained a lower median home price. Five other towns scattered across Southern California, offer similarly low median home values, including: Boron, Yermo, Hinkley, Johannesburg and Trona. They are surrounded by desert, and developed during the mining industry.
The towns may require a trip away from the urban bustle of the city, but for those willing to make the trade-offs, they also offer charm and affordability. The town of Boron is named for the element found in borax. Herlong, an army town named after a World War II-era captain and home to a military storage facility, situated along the border with Nevada, is another town with a low median home value.
This hidden gem may have been often overlooked since its heyday, but it is rich in character and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. The trend comes as home prices across America - particularly in states like California - continue to surge, pushing homeowners to flee to more affordable towns. America has a record number of ' million-dollar cities ' - where the average house price now exceeds six figures, new data shows.
In total 550 US cities have an average property price of $1 million or above, up by 59 from this time last year. The data from property portal Zillow lays bare how red-hot America's real estate landscape remains after years of consistent growth.
California alone counts 210 'million-dollar cities' - the highest of any US state and an increase of 12 from last year. It was followed by New York, New Jersey and Florida which count 66, 49 and 32 respectively. Affordable real estate in Cali city hotspots is hard to come by - so much so that wealthy citizens are increasingly fleeing inland to a city dubbed ' the armpit ' of the golden state.