I have just accepted a position in Palmdale, CA and have heard mixed things about the area. I will only be at this position for one year, so I am not so concerned about the social aspect. I am early 20′s, male, and white. Can anyone suggest a good place to rent a studio or 1br? Is it really that bad / dangerous where I would consider a 30 – 45 min commute and another $200 in rent to live in Santa Clarita?


there are a few bad areas there and in Lancaster just go out and rent a hotel for a long weekend and get to know the area a bit. You may be surprise you can rent homes as cheap as apartments in some areas The only real negative is the summer heat.
its not that its dangerous, but its in an area that has been hard hit economically with the housing collapse and several bankruptcies.
You’re also in the high desert, so getting to the main cities like LA and Burbank (or downtown LA) will be a travel on the freeways.
You should be fine. It shouldn’t be hard to find a nice neighborhood where you can rent a decent 1BR on the cheap. Yes, there are crummy sections of Palmdale, but they are easy to spot.
There are few neighborhoods in Palmdale, which are not that expensive compared to the rest of the area. But the thing is….. Palmdale… there isn’t much to do, and it’s a bit small, also quite a drive to LA.
No, but it’s kind of known for it’s white trash. It’s not a bad area, but pretty boring.