tl;dr What areas to avoid and what areas to look at around Edwards AFB?

>being deployed from the UK for 3 years to Edwards AFB
>never been to the West coast before
>don't know which areas to avoid but know I don't want to be in LA
>have a budget of $4k a month for rent (and then another $3-4k for utilities, food and travel)

Thought I'd ask here and on Plebbit to try and get a general feel for areas to look at it. It would be me and my wife, early 30s and no kids. We're both coming from very green areas so will be difficult to adjust to the desert. Been looking at places in SW Lancaster and Bear Valley Springs. We're quiet people and keep to ourselves so would want to avoid anywhere that's either very progressive or very conservative. We don't care about politics, religion or social issues. Just want to explore the US during my tour as we love the Wild West themes, hiking in the national parks and exploring nature.

Would appreciate any advice