The Bachelor's Hometown -- We're Spitting Mad ... This Ain't Podunk Junction

"The Bachelor" star Chris Soules welcomed his girlfriends into his Iowa hometown, and they crapped all over it -- while producers made it seem deserted ... and now Chris' old neighbors are pissed.

If you missed the last 2 episodes ... 4 of the 5 final girls showed up unannounced in Arlington, Iowa for a tour that would lead you to believe everyone's fleeing the one-horse town. Stores were closed, Main Street was dead, and one of the locals slammed Arlington for being boring.

City Clerk Mary Jo Brown tells TMZ it was a totally unfair depiction. She says the town has a ton going for it -- parks, a community center, and plenty of job options.

Brown shared her laundry list of complaints about the production:

-- the use of ghost town music to hype the episode

-- one of the shops shown was only closed the day they taped, but business is doing well

-- producers didn't shoot on a weekday when main street is way busier

'Bachelor' producers had no comment.

Brown says she'd welcome Chris and the girls back to town -- and insists there's plenty to see and do in Arlington.