10 Cities Where You Can Rent for $600 a Month or Less

In a world where rents and mortgage prices seem to be soaring out of control, a handful of cities have managed to keep a lid on housing costs.

Apartment Guide recently highlighted some of these affordable locales — along with their pricier counterparts — in a survey of rental costs across the nation.

Following are the least expensive ZIP codes in the country if you are trying to land an apartment.

10. Youngstown, Ohio

ZIP code: 44512

Average one-bedroom rent: $600 per month

Once a victim of the U.S. steel industry decline of the 1970s, Youngstown has turned the page and redefined itself, with new government and entertainment places, and the revitalization of old buildings.

The renaissance has been so strong that in 2018, a 125-room DoubleTree by Hilton opened in the historic Stambaugh Building on East Federal Street. No hotel had been open for business in downtown since 1974, when the Voyager Motor Inn on Market Street closed its doors.

9. Derby, Kansas

ZIP code: 67037

Average one-bedroom rent: $599 per month

In 2018, Field Station: Dinosaurs opened in Derby, Kansas. It features more than 40 life-sized moving dinosaurs. You can also play a round of Jurassic Golf and investigate the Paleontologists’ Laboratory.

8. Amarillo, Texas

ZIP code: 79106

Average one-bedroom rent: $597.50 per month

They do everything bigger in Texas — even helium. In fact, the vast majority of the world’s helium supply can be found within a 250-mile radius of Amarillo. Fortunately, all that lighter-than-air gas hasn’t inflated rental prices.

On a less pleasant note, Amarillo has been called one of the most dangerous places to live in Texas, with a high crime rate.

7. Conway, Arkansas

ZIP code: 72034

Average one-bedroom rent: $555 per month

This suburb of Little Rock is known for something particularly “unsuburban” — rather than commuting out of the county to work, a majority of the area’s residents work closer to home.

Conway also is known for its young, educated workforce. Among residents, nearly 94% have high school degrees, and 38.7% have at least a bachelor’s degree.

6. Shreveport, Louisiana

ZIP code: 71129

Average one-bedroom rent: $547 per month

Cheap rent doesn’t necessarily make Shreveport, Louisiana, a good place to launch a career. A 2019 WalletHub analysis ranked it the least livable city for recent college graduates, as we reported in “The 20 Toughest U.S. Cities for Starting a Career.”

5. Champaign, Illinois

ZIP code: 61821

Average one-bedroom rent: $532.50 per month

Champaign, along with sister city Urbana, is home to the University of Illinois. A 2013 NerdWallet survey honored Champaign for having one of the best work-life balances in the country.

4. Oklahoma City

ZIP code: 73114

Average one-bedroom rent: $530 per month

Oklahoma City’s prominent place on this list should come as no surprise. It ranked No. 1 in a separate rental analysis last year, as we reported in “How Much It Costs to Rent a 1-Bedroom Home in the 49 Biggest U.S. Cities.”

3. Greenville, Texas

ZIP code: 75401

Average one-bedroom rent: $510 per month

Low rents are just part of a sense of affordability in Greenville, Texas. Sperling’s Best Places notes that Greenville’s overall cost of living is 15.3% lower than the U.S. average.

2. Rogers, Arkansas

ZIP code: 72756

Average one-bedroom rent: $510 per month

Rogers, Arkansas, is located in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, based on population and percentage of population growth. The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area is now is now the 102nd-largest such area out of 394 identified by the U.S. Census Bureau.

1. Columbus, Ohio

ZIP code: 43227

Average one-bedroom rent: $489 per month

The home to Ohio State University has it all — big-city lifestyle at a small-town cost. It even has a professional sports franchise, the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

Although Cincinnati and Cleveland may be better known, it’s tough to beat Columbus if you want life in the city at an affordable housing price.

Do you know of more great cities with low rental costs? Share your favorites in comments below or on our Facebook page.