Home > CA > Victorville > Where to Live Now > Joie de Vivre: Victor Valley Residents Enjoy Quality Living

Joie de Vivre: Victor Valley Residents Enjoy Quality Living

Affordability, lifestyle options and the great outdoors draw residents to the Victor Valley.

By Kevin Litwin on January 19, 2021

victor valley|victor valley|victor valley|victor valley|victor valley|victor valley
Bad Ass Coffee

What sets the Victor Valley apart?

Family-friendly communities across the region of nearly 450,000 residents in the High Desert area of San Bernardino County offer affordability, plentiful housing options, a sunny climate, top-performing schools and high-quality health care.

A rich collection of recreation and culture options makes the Victor Valley unique, offering newcomers an inviting quality of life. The region’s communities, including Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Hesperia and Victorville, offer proximity to beaches, mountains and dunes, and access to outdoor recreation.

Welcome Home: Discover Victor Valley’s Many Neighborhoods

“I was born and raised in the Victor Valley before moving to Monterey to earn my real estate license, but I really missed Victor Valley after a while,” says Robby Phillips, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Home Source in Apple Valley. “When I returned, I fell in love with the High Desert once again.”

Phillips says housing costs in the Victor Valley are significantly lower than the rest of the Riverside-San Bernardino MSA, which is a big reason why Victorville was named one of Livability.com’s Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2019.

“The residential construction industry is still strong and steady here,” he says. “The median home value these days in the Victor Valley is about $250,000, but there are also some selling for $500,000 and even $1 million.”

Ziplines at Pacific Crest

Dull Moments? Never.

For outdoors enthusiasts, the Victor Valley offers several adventures

that can be enjoyed either locally or within a short drive. Top destinations include Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville, a favorite for horseback riders and anglers alike.

Hiking, biking and horseback riding can be enjoyed on the Pacific Crest Trail and in the Lucerne Valley. Snow skiing is plentiful at Big Bear, Wrightwood and Snow Valley, and ziplining and rappelling are popular at Big Pines in Wrightwood.

Courtesy of Tapestry Community

“All the wide-open areas in the High Desert are what set it apart from most places,” Phillips says. “It’s a beautiful region with cool morning air and a refreshing smell after it rains, but it’s all the adventurous possibilities that make the High Desert especially great for residents and visitors.”

Those adventures include plenty of options for four-wheel vehicles and motorcyclists. The California Desert Conservation Area Plan of 1980 set aside specific areas for off-road vehicles. Popular offroad destinations include Dumont Dunes, Stoddard Valley and Johnson Valley, with those spots known for their spectacularly scenic yet tough terrain that includes dry lakebeds, sand dunes and plenty of rock.

Healthy Choices: Victor Valley Residents Have Access to an Abundance of Wellness Amenities

Another major destination for ATV riders and outdoor enthusiasts, in general, is El Mirage Dry Lake, which features an off-highway vehicle recreation area. It is part of a 24,000-acre tract of public and private land that also includes the El Mirage Dry Lakebed, Shadow Mountains, El Mirage Basin and the Twin Hills area.

Michael Conti

Arts Infused

Adding to the region’s livability are its major cultural attractions, such as the High Desert Center for the Arts, California Route 66 Museum, Victor Valley Museum & Art Gallery and Creative Arts Theater.

For dining enthusiasts, they will get their fill throughout the Victor Valley at a collection of highly-rated restaurants and bistros, such as D’vine Wine Bar in Victorville, the Spirit River Café in Apple Valley or Juliano’s Italian Restaurant in Hesperia.

Eric Reed

“Victor Valley continues to attract young families, and the lower cost of living, low crime, recreational activities and great weather also make it a good retirement area,” Phillips says. “People here have a nice outlook on life, and it’s easy to see why.”

victor valley|victor valley|victor valley|victor valley|victor valley|victor valley
Bad Ass Coffee

Knowing Beans

Victor Valley residents like their java, and the region features a number of popular coffee cafés as well as tea spots. One of the newest establishments is Bad Ass Coffee, a Hawaii-based franchise that opened a store in Hesperia in early 2020 in the Topaz Marketplace. 22-year-old Victorville resident Destiny Martinez owns the Hesperia franchise.

Victor Valley, CA Offers the Best of All Worlds

In Apple Valley, Perks Coffee House is another growing business that serves coffees and teas, along with food items, including paninis, bagels, muffins and Danishes. And for the dedicated tea drinkers, Organic Fusion Teahouse sells green, black and white teas, along with smoothies, slushies, soy milk, salads and rice dishes. Organic Fusion has locations in Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley.

If you’d like to learn more about the Victor Valley area, check out the latest edition of Victor Valley Economic Development.  

Array ( [0] => 171490 [1] => 171417 [2] => 171387 [3] => 171352 [4] => 170990 [5] => 153843 )
Array ( )
Array ( )
Array ( [0] => 171490 [1] => 171417 [2] => 171387 [3] => 171352 [4] => 170990 [5] => 153843 )

More To Read

Newsletter Sign Up

Keep up to date with our latest rankings and articles!
Enter your email to be added to our mailing list.