Good places to rent in Ohio with low rent? (Cleveland: apartments, home)

[JJgalaxy]

I'm currently living in New Jersey, and rent here is just impossible. I only make about 33,000 a year, and I simply can't afford an apartment on my own. I've been looking at nearby states, and it seems like rent in Ohio is more reasonable. Any suggestions for good areas? My needs are very simple- as long as it's not unsafe and there's a decent grocery store and some decent take-out, I'm pretty much golden. I'm looking for one bedrooms or a studio.

[IonRedline08]

Youngstown and surrounding areas are really reasonable and there is a lot of stuff to do. You are also about an hour each from Pittsburgh or Cleveland.

[roodd279]

Is your work portable or are you seeking a new job (in Youngstown or anywhere)?


Agree with Redline - Youngstown is about the cheapest place in the country. Parts of it are perpetually ghetto - don't go to those parts. Otherwise, things are steadily getting nice, good college, good museums, excellent entertainment, and not too far from airports.

[ferraris]

Toledo, Youngstown, and Akron are your best bets for affordability and still being a decent enough size to find employment.


Smaller cities like Sandusky, Findlay, Lancaster, and such are an option too, but I don't think the rent would be much cheaper (if at all), and employment options would probably be worse.


Cleveland is the cheapest of the big Ohio cities for sure, and there are a few areas where you could even live without a car.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by JJgalaxy

Good places to rent in Ohio with low rent?

Good or not ... they'll almost all be near low pay jobs. Is that really what you're seeking?

I only make about 33,000 a year, and I simply can't afford an apartment on my own.

Where did you get the idea you should be doing it all on your own?
In NJ or in OH or anywhere else?

[WRnative]

Rents in relation to income are relatively affordable in Ohio. Additionally, Youngstown, as mentioned, offers access to urban amenities not found in almost all more affordable locations nationally given its location relative to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, even Akron. Youngstown also has very good metroparks (county park systems not found in many states, over 100 years old in Youngstown) and an excellent art museum in the Butler Institute. Nearby counties, such as Summit, also have excellent metropark systems, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio and PA state parks, Lake Erie, and Allegheny National Forest combined offer very good recreational opportunities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Creek_Park

https://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butler...f_American_Art



https://jasnia.com/rent-statistics/s...ffordable-rent


You can check current rent prices at rent.com for most significant cities.


https://www.rent.com/ohio/youngstown...ts/rent-trends


You can check real per capita personal income for metropolitan areas at FRED.


https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RPIPC49660


By calculating the ratio between rents and real per capita personal income you should get a reasonable measure of relative rent affordability.


I wouldn't be surprised that a Cleveland suburb such as Euclid, which has a massive Amazon distribution center as well as a significant manufacturing presence (e.g., Lincoln Electric), offers one of the best ratios of income to rent in Ohio (also check rents in nearby suburbs such Wickliffe and Eastlake, as well as the North Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland); check out the Cleveland forum. Greater Cleveland has great pro sports venues, Lake Erie, among the nation's best park systems, is one of the nation's top cultural centers, and has a world-class medical center (with a Cleveland Clinic hospital in Euclid).

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by MrRational

Good or not ... they'll almost all be near low pay jobs. Is that really what you're seeking?

What matters is rent affordability in relation to salaries. See post 6. If the OP were to research disposable, after-tax income, Youngstown likely would be even more advantageous than locations in NJ.


In many areas of Ohio, purchasing a residence may be more affordable in relation to salaries than renting in NJ, although in recent years, median prices in many low-cost areas of Ohio have risen significantly. E.g., see the chart of median home values in Euclid, discussed in post 6.


https://www.zillow.com/home-values/24624/euclid-oh/


Wow, I didn't realize this! The median home value remains under $60,000 in Youngstown, despite an 18 percent jump in the last year. Obviously, rents often correlate with home values.



https://www.zillow.com/home-values/28060/youngstown-oh/

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Obviously, rents often correlate with home values...

... all of which correlates with the incomes in that market.
Can't get get blood from a turnip.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by MrRational

... all of which correlates with the incomes in that market.
Can't get get blood from a turnip.

OP makes $33k ($15/hr) in New Jersey. I don't get why you're focusing so much on income. Their income will certainly go farther here, even if they wind up making $13/hr or something instead.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by ferraris

OP makes $33k ($15/hr) in New Jersey. Their income will certainly go farther here...

Is there any reason to believe they'll earn the same outside of the high wage NJ area?
Any way you slice it ... the 'live alone' thing is the real problem.