10 Midwestern Towns Where Rent Is Under $1,000
Written by
Marc Guberti
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Housing prices and rent have risen throughout the U.S. over the past five years, but there are still some small pockets where you can find rentals that are under $1,000 per month. The Midwest is the best place to look, according to Zillow’s research.
Housing is the largest expense for most people, so getting it below $1,000 per month can make it easier for you to save money for long-term goals. Not only are rent prices low, but the Midwest also tends to have more affordable housing prices than most of the U.S.
These are some of the most affordable Midwestern towns in the country that all have apartment rooms under $1,000 per month.
1. Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson tops the list with a median rent of $575 per month. It’s the most affordable town in the country, not just in the Midwest, according to Zillow. The median rent for a single-family home in Jackson is $1,600 per month. The average home in the town costs $77,960, according to Zillow, which is a 2.5% drop compared to last year.
2. Akron, Ohio
Akron is another affordable Midwestern town that has a median rent of $600 per month. Zillow pegs the median rent of a single-family home in Akron at $1,479 per month. The average home in the town costs $135,024, representing a 1% year-over-year increase.
3. Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City is another Midwestern town that has rent prices you would never find on the coasts. The median rent comes to $693 per month for a one-room apartment, and a single-family home comes to $1,750 per month. Zillow reported that the average home in Kansas City costs $242,550, which represents a 1.2% increase.
4. Milwaukee
Milwaukee is an affordable Midwestern city that is less than two hours away from Chicago. Rent for a single room only comes to $700 per month, but you can pay $1,711 per month for a single-family rental. The average house in Milwaukee is $215,737, which is up by 4.9% over the past year.
5. Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the second Ohio town on the list, and Ohio is well-represented on this list. The median rent for a room comes to $749 per month. It costs approximately $1,305 per month to rent a home. Furthermore, the average price of a home is $126,705, but that figure is up by 5.1% over the past year, so more people may be noticing the great deal that Toledo provides.
6. Cleveland
Cleveland has a lot to do, and it’s also one of the cheapest places in the Midwest. The median rent for a room comes to $750 per month, and you would have to pay $1,679 per month to rent a single-family home. If you want to buy a home in the area, the average price is $111,728. That figure is down by 0.9% over the past year.
7. Indianapolis
The median rent for Indianapolis is also $750 per month, just like Cleveland. However, its homes are a bit more expensive, with single-family rentals having a median price of $1,856 per month. If you want to buy a house in Indianapolis, you’ll be facing an average price of $226,981, which is up by 1.5% over the past year.
8. Oklahoma City
Several Midwestern towns have median rents of $750 per month for an apartment room, and Oklahoma City is no exception to the rule. Single-family rentals are also pretty affordable, coming in at $1,537 per month. Buying an Oklahoma City home costs an average of $202,150, which is down by 0.3% over the past year.
9. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is another affordable town in Oklahoma with a median rent of $750 per month for an apartment room. The average single-family home commands $1,596 in monthly rent. The average home in the area costs $211,447, which is up by 1.9% over the past year.
10. Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the final Midwestern town on the list. The median rent for an apartment room is $775 per month, compared to $2,059 per month for single-family rentals. The average house costs $242,640, which is up by 0.5% over the past year.
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