RE:SvenNavajojoe, I only found that California City partially is
"an empty mirage in the middle of nowhere" with lots of available, dirt cheap land lots but no water, electricity or a power grid available. So I thought you were perhaps referring to the massive Centennial project in the Antelope Valley.
California City looks somewhat like a ghost town to me. The east side for example has lots and lots of roads but nearly no houses. That might appeal to adventurers, campers, fortune-seekers or off-gridders who are dreaming that one day the place will be developed further and the community will finally thrive. That may eventually happen of course but then large catalysts need to appear. Perhaps you are aware of one? Only a small part of California City is on the grid at this time.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/california-city-unbuilt-suburb https://laist.com/news/california-city-podcast-investigation-lawsuit-takeaways When compared to a puzzle, Sage Ranch (which is near the city center of Tehachapi) looks like one of the final puzzle pieces possible over there with water rights secured, while California City has lots and lots of puzzle pieces to be laid mostly on the east side.
Tehachapi and Sage Ranch (shaded in green):
https://img2link.com/images/2022/12/21/cf42ea1fe08e6e99ca2b4a3ae631b17b.png California City:
https://img2link.com/images/2022/12/21/4a3ae12681738395452b2cff7bedc771.png If I was employed at the Edwards Airforce Base, I would choose for the 10' longer drive to work and move to pricier Tehachapi rather than to cheaper California City.