I've lived in a number of small towns, some are way out in the middle of nowhere.
The problem with Trona isn't that it's a small town, or even that it's in a very hot place (though that isn't a point in its favor). It's that it's a dying industrial town, with lots of smells, a fair amount of pollutionm, abandoned buildings, and lots of half-used industrial equipment. It emits a very bleak vibe.