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So I currently live in Maryland and rent a basement (shared entrance, no kitchen for 600/month inclusive) and need an apartment/house. I already know MD is out of the question and have looked at other areas, namely dayton OH and charlotte NC.
I can't find any apartments that have decent reviews in my price range 500 in either area. I've read countless reviews of gunshots, roaches, crime, etc in the apt complexes I can afford. The apts that cost 800 have great reviews. I'm assuming 500/month nationwide buys you a terrible existence. I've seen stuff in private residences for 500ish with utilities but they are a 2hr drive from here and I'm tired of people not responding to my emails. The houses I could find all have TERRIBLE reviews from the property management companies that manage them, 'they stole my deposit', 'we have a 2 foot hole in our floor for 6 months',etc. I've looked at section 8 housing voucher and the wait here in MD is 7 years, so certainly out of the question.
Ironically enough it's more affordable for me to BUY a house then to rent an apartment. My fear in buying a house is being stuck in an area before my life has really taken shape, since I'm still working out my disabilities. Also the areas I would be able to afford house-wise would be more economically depressed and may never recover (IE dayton OH rust belt). With an eye towards the future I would hate to be stuck in a forever doomed area, especially when I'm able to work again.
Where I live now(frederick,MD) is just unaffordable in addition to being a busy place. Since part of my disability is severe anxiety the pace of life here affects me. I just want a safe place I can afford that has: sunlight(living in the basement gets to you), fresh air(no windows), food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg(like it does here), and state colleges with a good online program(due to anxiety this is how I would attend). Wherever I live must have access to high speed internet.
I live in a small fairly dense town in Ohio and we have apartments in the $400 to $500/month range. I rent the upstairs of an old house for $350 (i think that's rare, but who knows). Where i live i can walk to the grocery store, pizza shops, a large lake and some other businesses in town.
Check out Syracuse- Decent rentals in decent areas start at $450/Mo- It has really low unemployment rates and the job growth there is ideal.
They have some of the snowiest winters in the nation- So IDK if that's a big obstacle.
I have researched this exact topic, because I need the same price range for apartments.
There are places out there. Look into these places:
Springfield, Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri
Owensboro, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Fargo, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Wichita, Kansas
Abilene, Texas
San Angelo, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Kingsport, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Evansville, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Texas. I live in Victoria, Texas, on my SS of $12K a year. It's a big enough city (60,000), far enough from bigger cities, that everything you'd ever need is here. Two full-service hospitals. The bus system is good, so you won't need a car. Gas and insurance are cheap, if you do need a car. Flat land, so biking is easy. My highest electric bill last summer was $100, and you never need to turn on heat. Well-managed apartments are easily found in safe, clean neighborhoods, for $500 a month. No cockroaches, very few mosquitoes.
Check the midwest, the economy there has driven the cost of living way down. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin are all a bargin. In my area people are buying decent livable houses for 50k. You will not find cheaper living anywhere.
Check out Syracuse- Decent rentals in decent areas start at $450/Mo- It has really low unemployment rates and the job growth there is ideal.
They have some of the snowiest winters in the nation- So IDK if that's a big obstacle.
Good luck!
I'm from Syracuse and $450/month will be tough to find. The OP is better off down south or in the midwest. I moved to Raleigh, NC and have lived here for a year now, and the cost of living down here is so much cheaper than Syracuse. Gasoline and utilities in particular are much less expensive.
Those winters sure are brutal though, you are right about that.
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