What It's REALLY Like To Live In Mojave, California?! You Won't Believe What We Found Out!

The neighborhood being driven through at the beginning of the video is called Mojave Gardens. The street at 3:12 is Nadene street where I lived from 1965 to 1983. It was a beautiful neighborhood with manicured lawns and trees that lined both sides of the streets. Countless games of tag football were played on those streets in the 1970s. After turning 18 in 1983, I lived at a few different places in Mojave before moving away in 1996. I have a lot of good memories of living there. Many people blame Mojave's decline on the highway 58 bypass that choked off the businesses that depended on that traffic. That couldn't be further from the truth. When I was growing up in Mojave, it was a blue-collar town where everyone had a job. There was Ashland chemicals, Purdy chemicals, Texas Aluminum, Cal Portland, and nearby Borax. One by one, almost all those plants left the area taking those union jobs with them, thanks to California's high taxes and strict regulations. All those jobs kept the town going as they supported Little League, Youth Football and other organizations. The men working at the plants belonged to one of the lodges; Elks, Lions, Odd Fellows- all of which supported the towns different events. Almost every family attended church on Sunday and welcomed each other into their homes. There was always something going on at the Veterans building, a multi-use facility that people could rent to host Bingo, fundraisers, celebrations, or a town party. I may be comparing Mojave to Mayberry, but that's how I remember it. It was truly one of those towns where everyone knew everyone. Today, I know almost no one there

Sounds ideal for myself. I'm retired with no family. I use to visit MOJAVE once a year while on business trips from Pennsylvania so I do have some familiarity with the town. I'm now 90 and just a bit to old for moving across country. I will just visit via my computer. Thanks much for your information. Jim Hatboro, PA

For those who may be wondering , the other 25.7% of the population identifies as iguanas.

My dad was the first Highway Patrolman to patrol Mojave, he and the captain. The radio base station was kept in our house. Early 50s. I remember Mojave as an exciting place to watch gliders. The winds would keep them aloft forever.

I grew up in this town from the time I was born until I was 13. I moved back for a bit when I was an adult and working at Scaled Composites at the airport there. Back in the late 80s and early 90s the town wasn't as bad. They had a lot more stores but they built the bypass for the 58 and businesses slowly died. There used to be a K-Mart, Del Taco, Wendys, Taco Bell and more. The place where McDonalds is now is where Taco Bell used to be.

I lived and went to school in Mojave in 1982. One evening night, a flying large object with lights hovered over us. The next day it was printed on local newspaper, that some people who witness it and reported it almost suffered a cardiac after seeing the object, and my aunt was one of those. It has been the most mind-blowing experience I've ever witness. I tried finding the archives on the Mojave Library website, but cannot find anything. Someone in that town has to remember that experience. 🛸

I like how this town in CA is affordable. The abandonment and emptiness looks kinda sad. Thanks for giving us a video tour.

A distinct lack of homeless encampment makes Mojave a great choice for living! It's a relatively safe place, I lived on the outskirts in little Rock and in Acton. Great hiking too. Once you get out of the towns the desert begins to reveal its secrets. Thanks for the tour of the old place. It's a great place to live. Good neighbors and police as well.

I lived in Mojave from 89 to 2005 and raised a family there. I loved the small town atmosphere. My daughter still lives there in the same house she grew up in, and is raising her family there. A lot of things have changed over the years.

I drove through Mojave in mid July of this year (2023), and stopped at the Shell station at point 11:46 in video to fill up with gas and eat at Subway. The one thing I remember most vividly getting out of the car was being blasted with a very hot wind. When I was a kid growing up on Los Angeles, we used to drive through Mojave to go to Mammoth to ski at Christmas time. Mojave reminds me of Barstow and 29 Palms!

Pros: Great place for off-road motorcycle riding! Great place to keep and fly an airplane/sailplane! Great desert camping! Great for rock hounds. Clean air. Endless open spaces! Doorstep of the Sierras! I love Mojave!

Im a current mojave resident. I moved here in 2021 from LA. Ill tell you, i make a tiny salary, 40k a year. With that salary, i can afford to pay a 3 bd 2 ba home with a 7k lot size. Monthly pay is 800 a month but escrow fluctuates so it varies. 1 year it was 200 now its 600 so about 1400. Even then, i can live off with that. House is very descent too. Not glamorous but good enough to be happy. Mojave is good if you want quiet and youre tired of the city noise and traffic. The only loud noise youll hear is the train but youll get used to it. Plus youll see fighter jets as its about 15 miles away from Edwards AF base. Mojave is also close to tehachipi and palmdale so you have resources that the drive isnt bad. Plus fuel is cheaper here than in palmdale. Not ideal for 20's year old tho as thats the out and explire and on the move phase tho unless youre the one of a kind that never liked the traveling exploration.

One of the main sources of revenue in Mojave was the Motel, Restaurant, and Service Station trade. It was where Hwy 14 and Hwy 58 met. But now Hwy 58 by-passes Mojave, and that part of Mojaves economy is about dead.

I love the view of the distant mountains and the wide open sky full of light. It's definitely got an atmosphere. Artists would love this quality of light. It's got a lot of potential and positives. Thanks for the interesting film!

Here in Mojave there is a beautiful girl behind every tree. But there are no trees.

I was born just a few miles down the road, at Edwards AFB. I stopped there in 2017 and told the wanna be female gate guard it was where I was born and she tried to tell me I was mistaken because there was not even a hospital. There was in 1954.

Checked Zillow cheapest home that looks livable start at 225k and go up. Nicer 1950's home over 1500 SQ feet is around $350k. Even if towns that are declining in California still higher priced then most states. Only thing I could find on Zillow under 200k were mobile homes and one SFH didn't look livable. Highest price home was $650k 2280 SQ foot home on 19 acres.

Mojave has always been a fuel and breakfast stop,real breakfast not fast food. As a kid I remember the heavy train traffic and the roundhouse. Yes Mojave had a real old school roundhouse for switching locomotives on the west side of town. I think it was in the late 1950's early 1960's when they stopped using it and slowly dismantled it a few years later. That was sad because it might have been one of the only roundhouse still in use. Before freeways were built the drive from the San Fernando valley to the Owens valley was small roads one lane each way. No freeways built yet. We would leave hours before sunrise and by the time we got to Mojave we were very hungry and vehicles needed fuel. Back then there was a lot of restaurants with good food in the town. This is before fast food restaurants. The town took care of travelers, truckers and railroad personal. So I've seen the town change quite a bit over the years and Mojave will always have a place in my heart.

Excellent video! Thank you. Driving around while you post stats is a great way for anyone to get an idea of what a city or town is like.

Holy Cow, I'm writing a book where part of the action is taking place in Mojave, and never having been there, this fits with the mental picture I had of the town. Thanks for this.