Renting 101: Look for an Affordable City That Matches Your Interests and Personality

For many recent grads, the first year after college is an exciting, but fraught time: you've achieved your educational goals, you’re at the top of the heap… and now you’re expected to join the so-called real world, doing entry-level work. The point is, you need to decide where you are going to start building a life. One option is to first find a job and go where that takes you. Another way is to choose a city that will offer you a lifestyle, not just a job and affordable rent.

What city will you choose? After all, if you’re still figuring out how to become a financial powerhouse, living in New York or San Francisco will be difficult. You’ll likely be living in cramped quarters in a mediocre (or worse) neighborhood. Sure, if you ride the train for half an hour, there will be a lot of cool bars, and tons of cultural opportunities, but if you can barely make your rent, how could you justify springing for $80 Knicks tickets, $12 mixed drinks, or a $40 cab ride? You probably can’t—and seeing others being able to enjoy a city, while you’re stuck on the sidelines can be frustrating.

Also, remember this: very, very cheap rental rates can be a sign that the place has little else to offer.  Even worse for a new grad,  places with extremely low rent usually also have an extremely depressed economy—which means it will be difficult to find a job there, and when you do, you won’t get paid much.

So, where should you look? Mid-size cities are a good place to start. Generally speaking, the Midwest, or the South is cheaper, and you don’t necessarily sacrifice on the culture front. That said, be careful. There are lots of lists of “most affordable cities,” and they don’t necessarily reflect what you want. 

For example, Time magazine rated Des Moines, Iowa, as the most affordable city for renters. Now, I’ve been to Des Moines (as a pit stop driving to Oregon). There’s certainly nothing wrong with it, but when your number one things-to-do talking point is a minor league baseball team, it might not be a good place for an artistic post-grad. You get where I'm going with this...

Some other cities from the list: Harrisburg, PA (#2), Ogden, UT (#3), Wichita, KS (#5), Seattle, WA (#9), and Pittsburgh, PA (#10). As you can see, there’s a wide range of city sizes and personalities. The problem with these lists is they don’t factor in what you want—they’re going very strongly by prices relative to the city’s overall cost of living. You don’t just want a good deal–you want a good deal in a place you’ll enjoy living.

So here’s my pick of  a few good first apartment cities that are both affordable and a good match to various types of personalities and interests:

Artsy:

Santa Fe, New Mexico: Georgia O’Keefe (famous painter of American landscapes) moved to New Mexico because she was struck by the landscape, in addition to the striking natural beauty, you’ll find tons of art galleries and museums, as well as artists honing their craft.

Minneapolis, Minnesota: For those who've not been there, the Twin Cities have a lot of artistic charm: The Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, and the Frank-Geary-designed Weisman Art Gallery are all top-notch institutions. Throw in a handful of galleries scattered about the cities and a great literary scene, and you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.