These Are The 10 Worst Places To Live In Southern California For 2018

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out that we updated it for 2018.

Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.

[adrotate banner=”4″]

Southern California. The American dream. The place where you can get the sun, surf, mountains and deserts. Where dreams are made and movie stars bask in the glory of their own self worth.

Where you have to ration your water. Sit in traffic. Pay too much for your house.

While Southern California is overall, a glorious place, it has some serious, glaring issues, just like most other states. But most of the people reading this live there, and are already aware of this fact, so we won’t dwell on it.

Instead, let’s have some fun and look at only certain areas where things are the absolute worst.

After analyzing all 225 cities with a population over 5,000, we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in Southern California:

What? Where are these places you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small town America, that’s not the case. We understand there’s a lot of good in every place.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), there are far better options in the state for making a place home. Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and see how your city fared in 2018.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

[adrotate banner=”5″]

How we determined the worst places to live in Southern California for 2018

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

Good education
Lots of jobs
Low crime
Low poverty
Nice homes
High incomes
High population density (Lots of things to do)
Short work commutes
Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and from the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a larger weight — if you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are normally 7x more common and really bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,100 people were considered — leaving 225 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 225 for all the criteria with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score”.

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score” with the lowest score being the worst city in Southern California — Desert Hot Springs. Read on for a detailed look at the 10 worst cities in Southern California.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

[adrotate banner=”7″]

1. Desert Hot Springs

Public domain

Population: 28,092
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Home Values: $143,300 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.7% (46th worst)
According to science, Desert Hot Springs is by far, the worst place in the state of Southern California. For those who are familiar with this desert city in Riverside County, is might not be much of a surprise, considering it’s a hot, empty place with nothing to do.

For those who live there, consider these facts: The crime rate in DHS is almost the highest in Southern California, per capita. Nearly 1 in 4 homes is vacant. And residents earn a paltry 32 grand a year. Which goes nowhere on a Southern California budget. Plus, summers are miserable.

While other cities in the greater Palm Springs area might be considered ‘posh’ such as Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs remains one of many sore spots in the region. And now that there are water rations in place, residents who live here can’t afford to water their cactus and succulent landscaping.

Seriously, this place is filled with homeless people and smells like a combination of Mexican food and tumbleweeds.

2. Wasco

Wikipedia User Biriosciwasco | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 26,061
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Home Values: $152,300 (20th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 17.8% (7th worst)
If you’re looking to live in Southern California, Wasco might not be the best choice as it places 2nd in our ranking of the worst places to live in the Golden State for 2015.

The average family earns $39,559 a year out here, and 2950.0% of the population is below the poverty line. Nearly 17.8% of the population is out of work.

And when you consider the crime, it’s just crazy to think of how dangerous it is to live way out here. When you’re in Wasco, every year, you have a 1 in 15.4 chance of being robbed. Can you imagine? Perhaps it’s an economic factor, or the fact that the people out there are so isolated, but the fact remains, it’s the 4th most dangerous place in the state, per capita.

3. Adelanto

Wikipedia User Jgjournalist | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 32,311
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Home Values: $129,900 (12th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 22.0% (1st worst)
Adelanto has the exact same problems that Lucerne Valley has, and it’s located only a half hour away. Except, the crime in Adelanto is far worse than it is in Lucerne Valley. Its residents most likely work in nearby Victorville or make the trek through the Cajon Pass to shlep into San Bernardino or Riverside.

Most people have only been to Adelanto while driving on 395 on their way up north, or because they got talked into attending a baseball game at Maverick Stadium.

Or, they were desperate because Apple Valley’s Del Taco was closed.

4. Arvin

Public domain

Population: 20,562
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 6)
Home Values: $116,900 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.3% (31st worst)
Arvin, CA needs a big hug right now. Residents here are underpaid, underemployed and possibly lonely.

Additionally, crime is 34th worst in the state, which is very high considering Arvin is so far removed from the rest of Southern California.

If you know anyone in Arvin, dm them on Facebook and tell them you love them. They can probably use it right about now.

5. Hemet

Wikipedia User User:Jstroudr | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 82,748
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Home Values: $139,400 (14th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 19.0% (3rd worst)
Another Riverside County desert city cracks the top 10. For those in the know, Hemet is a really?challenged city to put it lightly. It has a high crime rate, residents earn far less than they should to live comfortably, and 1 in 10 doesn’t have a job at all.

Moreover, 1 in 10 homes sits vacant, and there’s not a lot to do for fun. If you live in Hemet, this ranking might be a slight to your pride. Because, deep down, you know it’s bad there, but you always felt like you had it better than the people next door in San Jacinto. Well, you are wrong. Barely. See number 5.

6. San Bernardino

Public domain

Population: 214,581
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)
Home Values: $176,800 (39th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.1% (21st worst)
Perhaps the only thing surprising about San Bernardino being 9th is that it wasn’t higher. Crime here is horrible, more than 1 in 10 residents are without jobs (and that’s conservative), and well?we could go on and on about San Bernardino’s issues.

You’ve heard it all before. When considering the data, the only reason San Bernardino is only 9th is that there are some areas of the city in which residents earn professional salaries, and, frankly, there’s a lot more to do in the San Bernardino region than there is in the desert. And no, dodging bullets isn’t one of them.

But as professionals continue to flee into the nearby enclaves of East Highlands, Yucaipa and Redlands, the city of San Bernardino, which saw its glory days spike in the late 1970s, will continue to head down the drain and unfortunately, become an area only for those who have no aspirations to exceed in life.

7. Coachella

Wikipedia User Visitor7 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 43,826
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 5)
Home Values: $161,400 (27th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 17.2% (10th worst)
Coachella is the 63rd most dangerous place in the state of Southern California. That’s part of the reason it’s the 7th worst place in Southern California.

The fact remains, that when you’re within Coachella city limits, you have a 1 in 33.7 chance of being robbed or having something you own vandalized.Does that sound like a fun place to live?

Did you know Coachella also has the 10th highest unemployment rate in the state at 17.2%? Or that homes are only valued at $161,400?

Say what you want about cheap living. The fact is, homes are priced by demand, and there’s little demand to live in Coachella.

8. Victorville

Wikipedia User Mlpearc, City o | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 121,320
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Home Values: $158,900 (24th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 15.5% (13th worst)
While numbers in Southern California are clearly better when you compare them to the rest of the nation, the fact is when you compare Southern California cities against one another, you see big differences.

Home values in Victorville average $158,900, which is the 24th lowest in the state. Say what you want about ‘cheap living,’ the fact is homes are priced by demand, and there’s not a lot of demand to live in Victorville.

Plus, 2500.0% of the population here lives below the poverty line.

Plus, the crime rate is the 47th highest in the state here. Every year, when you’re within Victorville city limits, you have a 1 in 34.4 chance of being robbed. That’s a lot of broken into cars and homes.

9. Barstow

Wikipedia User Amin Eshaiker | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 23,438
Rank Last Year: 19 (Up 10)
Home Values: $96,000 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 15.1% (17th worst)
Barstow has some of the same issues that the cities above have. The crime is statistically the 8th-highest in the state of Southern California. And residents earn far less than it takes to live a normal life. The unemployment rank is also higher than almost every other city in the state at 15.1%.

Additionally, 3670.0% of the population lives below the poverty line.

10. Perris

Wikipedia User Ymblanter | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 73,718
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 7)
Home Values: $211,400 (50th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.2% (20th worst)
Here in Perris, you have some of the highest crime and the highest unemployment rates in Southern California. That’s not a good combination.

Located in Riverside County, you have a 1 in 34.2 chance of being the victim of a property crime when inside Perris city limits every year. Some of those crimes might be due to the relatively high unemployment rate (14.2%). That’s good for the 20th highest unemployment rate in Southern California.

Wrapping Up The Worst In Southern California

If you’re looking at areas in Southern California with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime, and not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, Desert Hot Springs ranks as the worst city to live in Southern California for 2018.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Southern California:

Aliso Viejo (Pop. 50,219)
Coronado (Pop. 24,852)
Mission Viejo (Pop. 96,178)

For more Southern California reading , check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Cities In Southern California

City	Rank	Previous Rank	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value
Desert Hot Springs	1	1	28,092	11.7%	$143,300
Wasco	2	2	26,061	17.8%	$152,300
Adelanto	3	3	32,311	22.0%	$129,900
Arvin	4	10	20,562	13.3%	$116,900
Hemet	5	7	82,748	19.0%	$139,400
San Bernardino	6	8	214,581	14.1%	$176,800
Coachella	7	12	43,826	17.2%	$161,400
Victorville	8	9	121,320	15.5%	$158,900
Barstow	9	19	23,438	15.1%	$96,000
Perris	10	17	73,718	14.2%	$211,400
Commerce	11	18	12,997	11.4%	$343,200
Calipatria	12	19	7,511	17.4%	$93,200
Huntington Park	13	25	58,921	11.1%	$322,300
San Jacinto	14	11	46,375	13.2%	$159,700
Dinuba	15	16	23,465	15.2%	$157,000
Selma	16	27	24,228	11.6%	$164,500
Shafter	17	15	17,801	13.3%	$153,600
Calexico	18	23	39,750	18.9%	$165,300
Lindsay	19	47	13,052	10.3%	$122,300
Delano	20	44	52,538	14.8%	$160,700
Parlier	21	34	14,953	14.5%	$123,300
Hesperia	22	22	92,664	13.6%	$172,800
South Gate	23	48	95,219	11.7%	$329,000
Compton	24	46	97,740	13.9%	$264,300
Orange Cove	25	65	9,566	17.9%	$118,800
Blythe	26	24	19,675	13.0%	$126,300
Brawley	27	45	25,776	20.6%	$150,100
Jurupa Valley	28	58	100,737	12.7%	$270,700
Moreno Valley	29	57	202,061	12.3%	$231,400
Bell	30	59	35,927	11.4%	$322,900
El Centro	31	53	43,699	15.2%	$164,900
Palmdale	32	31	156,823	11.6%	$207,400
Lynwood	33	73	71,233	10.2%	$312,100
Pomona	34	67	151,807	11.0%	$310,100
Reedley	35	80	25,273	15.5%	$170,300
Woodlake	36	39	7,567	15.8%	$121,300
Lancaster	37	52	159,651	9.6%	$186,000
Banning	38	56	30,643	14.0%	$177,000
Corcoran	39	53	22,917	16.3%	$111,700
Montclair	40	92	38,294	9.3%	$281,100
Colton	41	43	53,856	9.8%	$189,500
Paramount	42	74	54,941	9.1%	$283,400
Porterville	43	64	58,472	11.6%	$157,900
Calimesa	44	80	8,379	13.4%	$168,700
Taft	45	50	9,128	5.9%	$150,700
Farmersville	46	69	10,699	13.4%	$124,400
Rialto	47	60	102,418	13.8%	$236,100
Mcfarland	48	40	13,391	17.5%	$136,700
Apple Valley	49	82	71,455	12.9%	$194,100
Bell Gardens	50	106	42,805	10.6%	$318,700
South El Monte	51	89	20,566	7.0%	$363,100
Sanger	52	90	24,741	13.0%	$168,000
Lake Elsinore	53	63	60,230	12.8%	$259,700
Palm Springs	54	78	46,714	10.8%	$303,100
Riverside	55	101	318,678	11.0%	$286,600
Inglewood	56	84	111,012	13.3%	$355,300
Cudahy	57	86	24,106	11.9%	$285,900
Hawaiian Gardens	58	97	14,468	10.5%	$288,200
Yucca Valley	59	28	21,362	13.2%	$151,300
Ontario	60	79	169,389	9.3%	$293,000
Maywood	61	133	27,672	9.5%	$325,600
Indio	62	72	85,401	11.8%	$230,300
El Monte	63	104	115,665	9.2%	$374,900
Big Bear Lake	64	91	5,149	9.4%	$384,100
Tulare	65	71	61,664	9.1%	$163,100
Bakersfield	66	102	367,555	10.2%	$214,600
Hawthorne	67	114	86,938	9.8%	$419,600
Montebello	68	152	63,416	8.1%	$413,900
Fontana	69	109	205,228	10.2%	$289,400
Fowler	70	100	6,083	9.8%	$201,000
Los Angeles	71	122	3,918,872	9.2%	$496,300
Highland	72	112	54,490	11.4%	$269,000
Holtville	73	96	6,230	13.6%	$150,900
Hanford	74	111	54,912	11.8%	$174,300
Long Beach	75	141	469,793	9.4%	$448,800
Wildomar	76	139	34,775	12.1%	$266,900
Santa Fe Springs	77	127	17,436	4.9%	$371,400
Twentynine Palms	78	165	25,848	17.9%	$118,400
Signal Hill	79	130	11,404	7.0%	$446,000
Baldwin Park	80	132	76,511	8.8%	$333,500
Menifee	81	144	84,978	11.3%	$244,700
El Cajon	82	157	102,894	12.5%	$369,000
Oxnard	83	149	204,752	8.4%	$362,900
Tehachapi	84	126	13,179	8.8%	$180,300
Visalia	85	148	128,738	8.1%	$190,500
Pico Rivera	86	154	63,724	8.6%	$351,300
Exeter	87	119	10,504	9.0%	$175,000
San Fernando	88	162	24,396	8.6%	$343,500
Escondido	89	155	149,912	7.2%	$368,500
Stanton	90	143	38,594	8.0%	$322,200
Bellflower	91	158	77,687	8.3%	$367,300
Chino	92	164	83,670	9.0%	$365,500
Rosemead	93	159	54,507	8.2%	$455,100
Santa Ana	94	163	333,605	7.1%	$383,900
La Puente	95	181	40,384	8.1%	$343,000
Azusa	96	160	48,498	8.1%	$342,000
Yucaipa	97	165	52,886	9.2%	$241,700
Duarte	98	188	21,792	10.4%	$385,600
Gardena	99	170	59,898	8.3%	$372,500
Anaheim	100	174	346,776	8.1%	$457,600