For most people, my suggestion would be Shasta College in Redding. Decent-sized city in the Central Valley, like Bakersfield – but while Bakersfield is at the far southern end of the Central Valley, Redding is at the far northern end. Climate is cooler (though still hot in summer) with noticeably more rain and better air quality. While they are both parts of the Central Valley, the Sacramento Valley (to the north) always feels generally greener and wetter to me than the San Joaquin Valley (to the south).
Shasta College is relatively big (enrollment ~ 10,000). It’s not as large as Bakersfield College, but should still be large enough to have everything you need, including pre-engineering.
From College Navigator:
Estimated cost of attendance, Shasta College, 2017-18, in-state tuition, off-campus housing: $18,633
Estimated cost of attendance, Bakersfield College, 2017-18, in-state tuition, off-campus housing: $20,713
You could maybe get even cheaper at particularly small and remote CCs, like College of the Siskiyous in Weed or Palo Verde College in Blythe. But I suspect that most people would be more comfortable at a relatively large school in a relatively large city, if the price is reasonably low. Shasta College seems like a good balance; far enough away from the big urban areas to be cheap, but in a large enough city that you won’t feel too isolated.