Akron, OH. Nice old two bedroom–$680/month includes heat, which is something you need think about here. Little crime, good small town feel, big city amenities.
Charlotte, NC.
In the nicer areas you can still rent a nice 1 BR apartment for $700. If you need 2 BR, figure on $800 - $900. We have great weather. All four seasons (although a typical winter might see one or two snow falls that disappear on their own without shoveling.) NFL and NBA teams. Close to mountains and not far from ocean. Low taxes. Decent, if not NYC-quality nightlife and restaurants. Very easy to live here.
Chicago, IL. 22 story apartment near Lake Michigan, Lake View neighborhood. $1000 for studio apartment, $200 extra for parking if needed. I don’t have a car, there are numerous public transit options nearby as well as taxis anytime I want one. I’m on the 9th floor with a partial view of the lake.
San Fernando Valley, California. Until recently, I rented part of a 3-bedroom condo for $600/mo., but that was heavily subsidized by family. The actual market value for that area would be around $1400-1700, and that’s low end for L.A. – richer areas cost much, much more.
I’m paying considerably less than that (under the $500-600 the OP mentions) for what I consider a decent (1BR) apartment in a decent area, though I’ve been here a few years; I presume the rent would be higher if I moved in today. Still, I’ve seen Springfield on lists of most affordable places to live (like this list, f’rinstance). I encourange the OP to Google something like “cheapest cities” or “most affordable places to live in the U.S.”
I also found this list of average 2-bedroom rental prices for 200 different cities. San Francisco was highest at $1658; Fargo ND was lowest at $620. Not included are small towns, where I presume you could find even cheaper rents.
Forget almost anywhere in NJ. Even in high crime areas like East Orange rents are very high. My own house (colonial with four beds, two and a half baths, needs a new kitchen, no garage, built in the 1920’s) was appraised at 300k with about 5k in property taxes. A friend rents a smaller house around the block (three beds / one bath Cape Cod) for 2k a month NOT includng utilities. Another person I know lives in a small town NJ in the central part of the state not near much of anything and still pays over $1,600 a month for another small house with only two bedrooms. Granted in my town we have only seventeen kids in a classroom and easy access to Newark airport as well as NYC but this is simply not a low cost state pretty much anywhere you go in it.
I live in a suburb of Atlanta. My mortgage on a 3br condo is $800/month. A 2BR apartment in a safe, nice complex will run you about $700.
Rural NC, a place bought out of foreclosure. My mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, is under $425/mo. These sorts of places still exist and are on the market now. If I had to drastically cut everything, I could make it on $1000/mo and be comfortable enough.
OK, that does mean:
I put close to $150/mo in my gas tank just getting to work and back. It was touching $200 when gas was at its peak price.
The options for Internet are either satellite or dialup. I haven’t had some of the issues with satellite (hughesnet) that some have, but it honestly is the last-resort option for 'net access, and the only reasonable option where I live.
Cell service is unpredictable. I have 2 or 3-bar signal most of the time, but not always. Sometimes talking to the cell tower just doesn’t happen.
Food delivery, yeah get real, it doesn’t exist out here. Get up and go pick it up yourself.
All of the local deer, opossums, raccoons, etc, spend as much time in your back yard as you do. Learn to live with them.
Ignore the gunshots - it’s the locals seeking dinner or having fun. (and I confess to being a bit of a gun nut myself) But most of the time, it’s dead quiet at night.
Life out here is not for everyone, but it is doable and quite comfortable, if you have the right mindset. Probably not what you’re looking for, but just a data point in your thread.
I lived in Denver for a number of years in a one-bedroom apartment that cost $450/month. It wasn’t very nice… at all. My car got broken into and at one point I had bedbugs. But I’m out of debt now, so hey! And I still got dates, somehow.
Now I pay $1500 for 12’ ceilings, 1200 square feet, 2 bedrooms, full size kitchen and a balcony deck. Gf chips in. The mountain air is crisp and clean I tell ya. Budget living is smart. Luxury living is nice if you can afford it. I really wonder what millionaire living is like…
Thank y’all for your answers.
It gives me a start in where to look.
College towns look good, because my son does want to go to college. Small town is good for us too. I lived in a small town (less people than went to my high school) for a while and I loved it. It took a bit to get used to the slower pace but once I settled in it was nice. It was a lot easier on my blood pressure and nerves.
After you narrow it down to the town you want go to apartments.com or rent.com to check the prices. Also go to apartmentratings.com to get reviews.
Glens Falls, NY.
My 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment is $750.00 per month. This a nice, safe, little town. I haven’t locked my car or apartment doors in years.
And, it’s Hometown USA
Tucson, AZ hasn’t been mentioned yet. Comes in at #134 on Thudlow Boink’s list at $743 for the average two-bedroom, but rentals can be had for cheaper than that with a bit of looking. My 2 bed 1 bath townhouse is $560 for ~800 square feet and a small yard. During the search I also found a similar place in a duplex for $575.
Tucson is a great biking town, and you could easily get by without a car if you want. I’ve spent only $3400 in 5.5 years since I started biking here.
Food is also inexpensive and good. I’m feeding two adults on $100/week including grass fed & free range beef & chicken, and locally grown organic vegetables.
Tucson has the University of Arizona. Both housing costs and ease of biking are very good 2-6 miles from the university.
Houston, TX
It is cheap. I live in a duplex 1 br for $525 off street covered parking. Although this is Texas Houston is very liberal, in some ways, and very diverse. Several Universities, World class museums and fine arts
There are of course disadvantages Hot and Humid, expect 90days straight of 100+ and 95%, you must own and drive a car, we are working on the mass transit thing but the place is huge, the metro area is about 150 mi wide and 100 north/south. Harris County/Houston really likes the Death Penalty especially if you are a minority.
I love it here, warts and all.
Capt