"Out of the golden remote wild west where the sea without shore is... Full of the sunset, and sad, if at all, with the fullness of joy." The great English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne once wrote of a place called Hesperia, and while he may have been only been using the words to describe everything west of Spain, much like the Ancient Romans did, the stanza still rings true for this desert town.
Hesperia is a city located inside of the Mojave Desert. Okay, that sounds bad, but it's got great stuff too! Though the city has a large population of over 90,000, its large size, a little over 70 square miles, means that there are only about 1,300 people per square mile. The railroad developers who laid out the town originally were hoping that it would become the "Omaha of the West" and have a population exceeding 100,000 people by the turn of the 20th century. Sadly, their best efforts would mean nothing until 1970 when the population quickly began growing, and by the year 2000, this little town had over 60,000 people.
If you've been able to get over the fact that Hesperia is located in a desert, you may just find an enjoyable place to live
"Out of the golden remote wild west where the sea without shore is... Full of the sunset, and sad, if at all, with the fullness of joy." The great English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne once wrote of a place called Hesperia, and while he may have been only been using the words to describe everything west of Spain, much like the Ancient Romans did, the stanza still rings true for this desert town.
Hesperia is a city located inside of the Mojave Desert. Okay, that sounds bad, but it's got great stuff too! Though the city has a large population of over 90,000, its large size, a little over 70 square miles, means that there are only about 1,300 people per square mile. The railroad developers who laid out the town originally were hoping that it would become the "Omaha of the West" and have a population exceeding 100,000 people by the turn of the 20th century. Sadly, their best efforts would mean nothing until 1970 when the population quickly began growing, and by the year 2000, this little town had over 60,000 people.
If you've been able to get over the fact that Hesperia is located in a desert, you may just find an enjoyable place to live. Come on! Give it a chance. It's named after the god of the West for crying out loud. And given that it's named after a Greek deity, the rent really isn't so bad. This gives all those with a taste for the West the chance to stake their claim and watch tumbleweeds blow by. And while only 15% of the population is made up of renters, a vacancy rate of nearly 10% should make moving a bit easier.
How much will it cost?
You would think that an apartment in a desert would be excessively cheap, but the bustling nature of the city definitely precludes this. Hold your horses, though; the median rent in the city is still slightly less than the average for California. As always, this amount will vary depending on the exact spot within the city that an individual lives in. With the large land area of Hesperia, you'll have no issue finding a variety of different apartments at different prices.
Preparing for the move
ou might think that you can just roll into this desert town on your horse, park it at a nearby saloon, and lay your boots down at the first apartment that rocks your horse, but you will need to put a bit of preparation in. This is true of anywhere, so don't hold it against the desert. With its high vacancy rate, it likely won't be too difficult to find an apartment, but keep in mind that only around 15% of residents are actually renting. This means that it may take a little time to find a place in the neighborhood that you have your heart set on. In reality, three or so months should do it. Try your best to avoid moving here in the summer; you don't want to get stuck carrying heavy boxes and big screen TVs around when the average high during the summer is right at 100 degrees.
What you'll need
While Hesperia has a decently sized population, its large land mass means that these neighborhoods can still be tightly knit. Because of this, you'll want to bring your A-game when trying to land a place. The vacancy rate may be high, but this city is continuously growing, and all those other horse thieves just may want to lay claim to your dream apartment. This means you need to be prepared with all of your references and possibly even a background check. The city has maintained a lower-than-average crime rate, and they may not want you trying to rock the boat. So yeah... behave yourself! If you've got a pet, it also wouldn't hurt to have some documentation, like paperwork from a prior landlord, showing that your little fella won't destroy the place. Heck, it's a desert. Get an iguana.
Hesperia neighborhoods all have their own little draws. The prices can definitely vary, and though the crime rate is lower than the national average, some neighborhoods do still experience more crimes than others. Who would've thought? Crime in the desert. They never showed this in the Western movies. Oh... wait. That's fine though, the violent crime rate is low, so even if you pick out the wrong neighborhood, you'll just have to bring your bike inside at night. So, don't pick the wrong neighborhood! Honestly, though, in Hesperia, is it really possible to pick the wrong neighborhood? It's going to be hot anywhere anyway.
Central Hesperia (Lime Street): Central Hesperia is definitely worth checking out, but its crime rate is one of the highest in all of Hesperia. As stated earlier, however, the average crime rate in the city still isn't bad, so don't fret too much. Of course, with a Redbox kiosk and Dog House Saloon nearby, what do you have to worry about? $$$
Oak Hills: Oak Hills is just about the safest place you could stay in Hesperia. The food choices are minimal unless you go to the northern side of the neighborhood, but come on, if you've got enough money to stay here, you can get delivery. Check out Datura Park while you're at it, but you may have to go one neighborhood over. Don't worry, it's pretty nice too. $$$$$
North Hesperia (Primrose Ave): North Hesperia is one of the lowest cost neighborhoods that a person could stay in within Hesperia. This means the property crime rate is a bit higher, but a little vigilance in the neighborhood goes a long way. Added to this, there are several grocery stores nearby and you can even get a bite to eat at a nice restaurant just by heading across I-15. $
Lugo: Lugo is another nice neighborhood in the area. Its crime rate is a little worse that that in Oak Hills, but whose isn't? The rate is still pretty low, and the prices reflect that fact. The neighborhood's closer proximity to San Bernardino probably helps as well. At least you can head into town from here and check out the California Citrus State Historic Park here. Who doesn't like citrus? $$$$
Transportation in the Desert
Come on, you can't go walking around a desert. Well, you could, but it wouldn't work well in Hesperia. In fact, the city has been rated as "car dependent" by an unbiased rating system, and this is likely because there are, on average, 0.3 bars, coffee shops, and restaurants within 5 minutes walking distance for most residents.
Ah, you don't really need a car though. The Victory Valley Transit Authority serves all of San Bernardino County, and yes, this includes that little desert town known as Hesperia.
The Economic Outlook
Okay, if you're coming to Hesperia... Have... A... Job. Seriously. The unemployment rate in the city is sitting solid around 12.4%. Yes, we've had bad times in America, but the national average didn't make it above 10% in the last recession.
There are places to find employment within Hesperia, but again, it's best to already have a job lined up. The school district employs more individuals than anyone else. The sad part? A little joint known as "In-and-Out Burger" ranks tenth in companies that employ the highest number of people in the city.
Let's have some Fun!
With the aforementioned employment numbers, you're going to need something to get away from it all. Luckily for you, the Hesperia Recreation and Park District provides indoor and outdoor fun. You can take classes in karate, Zumba, ballet, and yes... since you're a full-fledged desert cowboy (or girl), you can even take line dancing classes.
When the holiday season rolls around, be prepared to attend the Christmas tree lighting. There is free hot chocolate and popcorn, although the combination doesn't sound appealing, and you can even visit with Santa Claus. What's he doing here???
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