What cities in the High Desert area of California are safe and affordable?

I'm planning on moving to cali next year for school and im finding really cheap apartments in palmdale and victorville...but when i was looking up reviews online people were saying that the high desert areas werent safe and were full of gangs. So i wanna know what areas are safe and affordable, i dont mind living in the desert areas but i dont wanna be in areas full of gangs. If there arent any good areas in the high desert, what areas are affordable and safe within an hour of LA?