My hometown made this list. I won't say what number it is due to the laws against self-incrimination. When I was growing up it was kind of a vibrant town. But every time I go home now it gets worse and worse. It's got to be the cheapest place in California to buy or rent a house. I knew it would be on this list just by the title of the article.

The saddest thing is that we had a really cool and close-knit ward (as mormon wards go) 40-someodd years ago. In fact they had 2 large wards and it was the stake center. But that really died out too. Only one ward now and it was consolidated with other dying stakes in California. Three stakes were made into one. I feel really sorry for missionaries who get sent there.

https://www.homesnacks.net/10-white-trash-cities-california-128518/

Nope.
Closest one to me is Lakeside...and yeah, it fits. :)

As a San Diego County native, I'm disappointed to see Lakeside only made the #10 spot....

I actually live in Lakeside and yes there are trashy parts, but my neighborhood is beautiful and most here are upper middle class.Lots of horse ranches here on large lots. I find the article a bit misleading.

BB

And El Monte Canyon is lovely!

PS - If you live in the Lakeside Ward, I might have knocked on your door as a missionary or lived close by.

I was long gone before I ever attended Lakeside Ward.

Yay! not on the list.

Wow, what a racist article...I am NOT directing that criticism at NormaRae but at the editors of that website. I wonder if they'd ever print an article about the "Top 10 California Cities Full of Undocumented Latinos" or "Top 10 Black Ghettos in California." Sheesh.

As for the cities listed, no, mine is not there (not that I would have expected it to be--and in any case, where I live is majority non-whites).

Most of the cities that make the list do not surprise me. However, Livermore is very beautiful in many places and has several new luxury home developments nowadays as well as a very nice downtown area. It is also home to several lovely wineries. (No, I do not work for the Livermore Chamber of Commerce!)

I agree it has been known in the past as somewhat "white trash," if by that term one is denigrating working-class white people. However, I am good friends with two different couples with good incomes (one white couple, one Latino) who recently gave up looking for homes to buy there because they kept getting outbid. This was after they had been trying for several months, and they weren't even trying to buy in newer developments. Livermore is far from "trashy" nowadays in terms of home prices or anything else, in my opinion.

Yeah, I agree--it's mostly unfair stereotyping. As I read the bit on Livermore I thought of a former colleague and Livermore product, a brilliant young woman who recently earned her PhD and is now teaching English lit at a top California private college.

And I have had dealings with folks from several other towns on the list (I lived in California almost 40 years), and they were good people.

It breaks my heart to see what poverty and drugs do to communities, regardless of their race or other characteristics.

And as for trailers, one of the best years I ever spent was living in a trailer in Concord!

I'd probably add Ramona and parts of Vista and most of Duncan Hunter Junior's constituents.

Hedning Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd probably add Ramona and parts of Vista and
> most of Duncan Hunter Junior's constituents.

Yeah, ok...just leave Valley Center out of it! ;-)

I agree with the characterization of the article as racist. It plainly is. Sigh.

Ramona is either have or have not. Lots of ten acre estates on the west side (Archie Moore Rd; Highland Valley Rd) and in the center of town lots of white trash apts.

I was the assistant manager at the Ramona Jack in the Box for a little over a year. It was good pay (but long hours) while going to college.

Nowadays the only time I go to Ramona is when my kids' HS teams are playing the bulldogs, or when I go to play Mt. Woodson golf course. I avoid the rest of the town :)

NeverMo in CA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow, what a racist article...I am NOT directing
> that criticism at NormaRae but at the editors of
> that website. I wonder if they'd ever print an
> article about the "Top 10 California Cities Full
> of Undocumented Latinos" or "Top 10 Black Ghettos
> in California." Sheesh.


https://www.roadsnacks.net/these-are-the-10-most-ghetto-cities-in-california/

White trash is not generally considered as offensive because its origins are that white people have to be exceptionally bad to be considered trash, while blacks and other nonwhites were automatically trash so no extra descriptors needed. It's offensive in terms of class but it's weirdly a racial "compliment," implying that for trash to be white is exceptional.

Also there are tons of racist lists on that site.

https://www.roadsnacks.net/these-are-the-top-10-cities-for-cholos-in-california/

WOOOOO HOOOOO!! My city (Bakersfield) made it (no surprise)!! I'm just amazed that there are four cities ranked worse.

I did not grow up here, I grew up in a very white SoCal coastal community a mile or so west of the L.A. temple. My profession brought me here. When I first arrived (close to 30 years ago) it was an O.K. place (not as bad as it's reputation to outsiders), but has really deteriorated over the last 10 -15 years. With my kids all gone, I just have some loose ends to take care of before I can leave. Within the next couple years I am looking forward to moving to an even WHITER community (90%+ white folks...OH YEAH!!) in Northern AZ.

i am scouting for a place to retire. I would like to live in a relatively civilized area, where I can sit on the porch without having to wear Kevlar. These places as described are not going to be on my short list.

It seems that heroin, meth and the accompanying halfway houses-not to mention the crimes/criminals associated with the drugs are reducing the number of places to consider for retirement.

It kinda sucks...

Probably Searles Lake or Red Mountain/Johannesburg. Very, very quiet places.

I forgot to mention that a tree would be nice...

If you are looking for a relatively affordable city in California and can stand the summer heat, Chico is definitely one of the better cities in the Sacramento Valley. Yes, it carries a bit of the baggage that some of the other cities discussed here have, but I think much less so because it's primarily a college town. Not a huge city, but not what I would consider a hick town either. A reasonable drive to Sacramento for the airport and other bigger city amenities. A far better choice than Redding to the north or Yuba City/Marysville to the south.

Not my city, as it's along the coast and quite expensive to live here. I will say that I'm not surprised that Riverside and Hesperia are on the list, as that's because the poor whites moved there to escape San Bernardino which would be on other lists due to high crime rates and other problems caused by poverty.

The place I owned my first home is not on the list but it probably should be. It had the distinction of being the fastest growing city in the US about the time we bought and the city with the highest foreclosure rate when we left (not because of foreclosure).

I'm a bit surprised Riverside is on the list but not San Bernardino.

Is it my imagination or are most of these cities in the southern half of the state?

Puli Wrote:

> I'm a bit surprised Riverside is on the list but
> not San Bernardino.

Agree.

North Las Vegas?

I have always viewed the term "white trash" as insulting to the people being directly referenced, as well as racist against non whites.

For whites you have to go to the trouble of pointing out the undesirables. The implication is that there is no such need when dealing with people of other races.

To be fair to Bakersfield, that photo shows Oildale, a town on the wrong side of the tracks *and* the wrong side of the river.

I lived on Linda Vista, just on the other of where that pic' was taken. I remember driving through Bako on the way to Fresno State thinking: "I would never want to live or work here." Ended up working *and* living in Kern County, where I actually preferred the weather over Fresno. And....yeah...those Valley girls.....

You want some cognitive dissonance? I also worked at the Kern Shakespeare Festival.. Yeah, it was a thing....

No, Los Angeles ain't on the fuckin' list. But give me white trash, fun earthy people, new immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQI any day over the Morg! The Refined Boner.

Wow! What an article! We wanted to move to #1 years ago and glad we didn't. At that time, Hemet was full of senior citizens and pretty inexpensive brand new houses. A lot of those first time home buyers walked away from their homes. We ended up buying elsewhere in the I.E. and walked away from ours. It wasn't worth what we paid for it. Adjacent to Hemet is the Scientology compound. I was surprised San Bernardghetto wasn't on the list.

-Dennis

Seem to remember one of the main centers ("Gold Base" is there or near there.

Poorly written article, plus used a lot of wrong information.

Certainly there are places I wouldn't want to live in California. Some of these cities mentioned have had economic troubles, and some areas do have more of a meth problem than others. But much of the criteria use here is stupid, with a negative divisive tone.

Using 'white trash' as a criteria is racist and not even a real statistic.

'Number of single mothers' REALLY! Irrelevant stat and misogynist, since 'single fathers is not even mentioned. Many single mothers can make really good money, income is more of a stat than single/married.

Some comments on the article point out the bad information. Certainly wrong about Livermore, high income and well run city.

Agree about Livermore - FAR too pricey and expensive to be on that list. Also, the immediate area has loads of highly educated professionals, many of whom work at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. How was Livermore chosen, but Tracy and Manteca just over the hill are nowhere on the list?

I am also surprised neither Yuba City nor Marysville were chosen as both cities fit the criteria perfectly.

And I have to scoff about Livermore supposedly being out in the middle of nowhere -as if any city within commuting distance of San Francisco would be considered on the middle of nowhere!

I agree with you--poor and slanderous article. I do think the point of it, however, is to point out that the shabbier towns in California are not due to a high population of minorities.

Happy to see that Stockton and Bakersfield made the list. But then, Bakersfield made the list before there was even a list. My town is not on it. Whew. Because it barely qualifies as a town. Go Bobcats!! I don't know how people from Barstow even get up in the morning.

Extra candidates: Yuba City, Marysville, Oroville, Linda, Live Oak, Richmond, Vallejo, Rio Linda, Rancho Cordova.

Susanville, Redding...:)

El Cajon...

There should be a "worst remote town in California" list. Number 1. would be Searles Lake (Trona). The mineral content in the dirt does not allow plant life to grow.

I'd have to agree with that one. Our stake used to take in everything from Bishop on down West of the 395. I went out to Trona a few times with my dad when he'd speak on high council assignments. You just felt like death even being there.

And Hinkley is so bad that they had to film Erin Brokovich in Boron because it looked better.

Hey NormaRae, I just went to a ward potluck in Trona (I live in Ridgecrest). It's quite the place, for sure.

People still live in Ridgecrest? It's still a thing?

Yeah, Ridgecrest was the big city compared to Trona. Our Stake President lived in Ridgecrest and even as a teen I thought he was an interesting person to listen to. Years later when we moved to Provo, I heard he was there so went to him as our dentist.

I have solid memories of watching football games in Trona, sniffing the potash in the air. Since grass doesn't grow there, the field is dirt. They hurry out at halftime after the so-called "show," and re-draw the lines. Once our entire team cheerleaders was in an awful accident coming back from a basketball game in Trona--four people killed, one critically injured. It was a sad day for our school.

'Tis a sad day, indeed, when Boron looks better than something.

Haha. Pretty sad indeed.

Central Coast of CA. It takes a lot of money to live in my town.
Fortunately my wife came nicely equipped with a paid for house.

Hie, I you may be right!

Per my instructor, Susanville has the greatest concentration of incarcerated persons in the world.

At one time in 2002, Redding was the hottest recorded temperature on Earth.

geesh!

The thing that struck me is how alike all the towns look. Featureless and flat... Is that really how they are?

The city next to mine, Roseville, had a proposal for an office building ten stories high. Their population is 120,000. The town went crazy with protests against the building height and it was scaled back to five stories. Flat is where it's at, I guess, in the west.

"They went 'n' built a skyscraper
Seven storeys tall!
'Bout as high as a building orter go!
Everything's up to date in Kansas Citeee!!"

Actually, I didn't really mean the "small" buildings - in Paris, most dont go above 7 storeys (or 6 as we call it ;-).

It's just the uniformity of them all: sort of interchangeable nowheres ;-)

North of Redding Is mountainous. The coast is Heaven!
Lassen Volcanic Nat'l Park is interesting. (DH thinks it's eerie.) But, there seems to be a lack of wildlife, at least compared to other Nat'l Parks.

Mt. Shasta and Burney Falls (somewhat near Redding) are lovely.

We had a family reunion and camped near Lake Shasta about 30 years ago. There was certainly plenty of wildlife at that time. We couldn't keep the bears out of our campsite. It was so beautiful there. We took a day trip to the costal redwoods.