Former California boom town with population of just 30 begs for young people to move in and snap up its cheap homes

By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:38, 16 April 2026 | Updated: 20:43, 16 April 2026 A former California boom town with a population that has dwindled to just 30 people is begging for young people to move in and snap up one of its cheap homes.  Located just outside Death Valley National Park, properties in the quaint desert town of Darwin are 350 percent cheaper than the state's national average.  What started as a bustling gold mining city in the 19th century is now on the precipice of becoming a ghost town - a status which brings in waves of content creators eager to capture its dilapidated cabins inhabited by quirky hermits.  Many of the residents are creatives who moved in from sprawling cities like Las Vegas and San Francisco, favoring a life of solitude and space over the rat race.  At the time of publication, two houses were on the market in Darwin, including a stunning three-bedroom, three-bathroom home surrounded by beautiful mountains.  The luxury ranch is on sale for $245,000, which is 3.5 times cheaper than the statewide average of $861,725 for the same size property.  Two blocks away, a run-down ranch surrounded by giant cacti is also for sale for an even bigger discount.   The two-bedroom property is selling for $85,000, a price tag seven times cheaper than the statewide average of $619,491 for a similar size property.  Darwin, a former California boom town with a population that has dwindled to just 30 people, is begging for young people to move in and snap up one of its cheap homes At the time of publication, two houses were on the market in Darwin, including a stunning three-bedroom, three-bathroom home (pictured) surrounded by beautiful mountains The luxury ranch is on sale for $245,000, which is 3.5 times cheaper than the statewide average of $861,725 for the same size property. The interior is pictured above  However, the town's seclusion comes at a price. Darwin sits more than five miles from the nearest highway, and water is a valuable commodity for residents.  Water scarcity limits population growth to around a couple hundred people and residents rely on each other to keep the supply going.  An army of volunteers must invest their time, labor and money into pumping the resource from gravity-fed pipelines from a spring in China Lake.   With an average age of 66, Darwin residents have said they are desperate for youngsters to snap up the cheap homes on offer and help keep the water running.  'We need help,' longtime resident and artist Kathy Goss told SFGate.  'We need younger people to come here and make the commitment to live here. And make a commitment to doing some muscle work.'    One of the town's youngest residents, Nico Georis, 43, recently became a member of the water board and said they desperately need some young blood.  'They're getting older, and they need help, and they need a new generation to pass the torch to,' Georis told SFGate.  A run-down ranch surrounded by giant cacti shown above is also for sale in Darwin, California. The two-bedroom property is selling for $85,000, a price tag seven times cheaper than the statewide average of $619,491 for a similar sized house  Located just outside Death Valley National Park, properties in the quaint desert town of Darwin are 350 percent cheaper than the state's national average. Darwin is pictured in the distance Houses are also cheaper because the town is difficult to access.   'The only danger of living here, real danger, is you're too far from a hospital if you really need something,' Darwin local Rick Gibson, 73, told SFGate.  Gibson aims to move to Las Vegas by the time he is 80 so that he can more easily access health care.  However, he said he would not give up his Darwin property, which he bought for just $6,500 in cash in 1988.  'I love it, but I do realize I have to leave,' he said. Darwin was founded in 1874 and it quickly became a busy mining town, with its rich silver and lead land a key attraction for businessmen from across the US.  It was named after Darwin French, a miner and rancher who led explorations of the area. Eager adventurers flocked to the area, but the boom didn't last.  The town's seclusion comes at a price. Darwin sits more than five miles off the nearest highway, and water is a valuable commodity for residents With an average age of 66, Darwin residents have said they are desperate for youngsters to snap up the cheap homes on offer and help keep the water running Most residents had left by the close of the 19th century, as access to key resources in the hostile desert environment became too much to handle.  In the 1930s, the remaining residents became even more secluded when California officials voted to reroute the main road out of the town.  The majority of the mines closed down by the 1970s, and since then, the population has steadily shrunk from 3,500 to 54 residents in 200, to just 30 people today.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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