The nine California towns where you can still snap up a home for $150,000 – and one inspired Hollywood hit movie

California is known for its red-hot real estate market – with the average home in the state now valued at more than $1 million.

But despite these eye-watering real estate prices, affordable real estate still exists in the Golden State – if you know where you’re looking.

Indeed, there are nine cities where homes can be robbed for as little as $150,000 or less. LA times reports. The only problem is that you may have to go quite a ways off the beaten path.

Some of the state’s cheapest properties are near the Oregon border in towns like Dorris, Macdoelen and Tutelake. They all house fewer than 1,000 people and are located amid agricultural landscapes.

Another example is Trona, a city steeped in history and nestled in the desert, which longtime resident Ann Epperly told LA Times remains a haven for those looking for an escape from city life.

“It’s gone downhill, but it seems to be coming back a little bit,” Epperly, 80, told the LA Times while describing Trona.

She explained how the once bustling city was built on mining and the production of borax, an ingredient in glass products such as car windows.

But despite its decline over the years, Trona still has value for those looking for tranquility and a place away from the urban lifestyle.

And living “off the beaten path” has its perks, she told the outlet.

“It’s quiet, you don’t get the noise of so many people” and “cars running over you,” she added.

However, Epperly emphasized the need for revitalization to support the city’s growth since Trona’s decline as a commercial center.

“Years ago, this was the centerpiece,” she remembers.

Now, “it’s just a small town with a big factory,” she said, referring to a nearby mineral factory. “We need some stores here.”

Cities like Trona face different challenges – with infrastructure and amenities often lacking, and essential services lacking for miles.

The nearest 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 seeking refuge in busy cityscapes has meant that cities like Trona have seen a surge in demand.

Tourists are also beginning to discover the beauty of these desert landscapes, bringing hope for an economic recovery, Epperly said.

“I think LA found Trona,” she told the Times.

Real estate agent Sonney Berri highlighted the recent increase in interest, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trona, a “desolate area that boomed in the 1950s and 1960s, was littered with abandoned homes after factories closed decades ago,” Berri, 49, told the LA Times.

Now “people are fixing them and making the community better,” he added.

Trona’s heyday dates back to the early 20th century, when it flourished as a business city, teeming with businesses and activities.

Likewise, towns like Hinkley, which inspired the Hollywood blockbuster “Erin Brockovich,” have over a lawsuit over groundwater contamination that caused illnesses and deaths in the area, have also maintained a lower average home price.

Five other cities across Southern California offer similarly low median home values, including: Boron, Yermo, Hinkley, Johannesburg and Trona.

They are surrounded by desert and developed during mining.

The cities may require a getaway from the urban hustle and bustle of the city, but for those willing to compromise, they also offer charm and affordability.

The city of Boron is named after the element found in borax.

Herlong, an Army town named after a World War II captain and home to a military storage facility located along the Nevada border, is another city with a low median home value.

This hidden gem is often overlooked since its heyday, but it is rich in character and surrounded by beautiful scenery.

This trend comes as home prices across America — especially in states like California — continue to rise, forcing homeowners to flee to more affordable cities.

America has a record number of ‘million dollar cities’ – where the average house price now tops six figures, new data shows.

A total of 550 U.S. cities have a median real estate price of $1 million or more, an increase of 59 compared to this time last year.

The data from real estate portal Zillow exposes just how red-hot the US real estate landscape remains after years of consistent growth.

California alone has 210 “million-dollar cities” – the most of any US state and an increase of 12 from last year.

This was followed by New York, New Jersey and Florida, which had 66, 49 and 32 respectively.

Affordable real estate in Cali city’s 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.

While precious cities like LA and San Francisco are plagued by crime, homelessness and drug crises, there is no end to the influx of newcomers looking to escape the ‘rat race’.

Home prices have doubled in less than a decade in 68 of the 100 largest U.S. cities, a sobering new study shows.

And in some major American cities, the cost of the average real estate has doubled in just five years.

Buyers in Irvine, California – the most expensive housing market in the study – have seen median home prices double from an already steep $750,000 to $1.5 million in just seven years.