Take a look at your monthly budget. What’s the most expensive line item? Almost certainly, it’s your rent.
As Zillow has recently reported, rent levels have rocketed upward far faster than incomes since 2019, making housing costs increasingly difficult to afford in America. Is it even possible to pay less than $1,000 for rent in a major city?
See More: 12 Midwest Cities Where Rent Costs 30% or Less of a Middle-Class Income
Also Check: How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires — and How You Can, Too
It turn out, the answer is yes — but with a caveat.
If you’re willing to rent a place with a single room (as opposed to a multi-room apartment, for instance), Zillow has found that a number of large metropolitan areas offer apartments for less than $1,000. In fact, Zillow noted that a one-room apartment priced at $1,000 or even less can be attained in at least 86 of America’s 100 largest cities.
If you don’t need a great deal of space or you are willing to scale down to single-room living for a while in order to build up your savings, you can rent a room in the following cities for less than $1,000. GOBankingRates has organized the metropolitan areas from most expensive to least expensive in terms of single-room costs.
Also see where you can save the most with a roommate.
1. Worcester, Massachusetts
- Median rent: $950
- Share of affordable apartments: 80.6%
Check Out: 10 Best Places To Buy a Short-Term Rental Property To Earn Passive Income in 2025
Find Out: What Salary Single People Need To Live Comfortably in 100 Major US Cities
2. Providence, Rhode Island
- Median rent: $950
- Share of affordable apartments: 68.8%
See More: How Much House Does $300K, $400K and $500K Buy You in Every State?
3. New Haven, Connecticut
- Median rent: $950
- Share of affordable apartments: 65.2%
4. Chicago
- Median rent: $950
- Share of affordable apartments: 68.5%
5. New Orleans
- Median rent: $910
- Share of affordable apartments: 63.4%
6. Tampa, Florida
- Median rent: $900
- Share of affordable apartments: 62.2%
Discover More: The Cheapest Place To Buy a Home in Every State
7. Portland, Oregon
- Median rent: $900
- Share of affordable apartments: 91.6%
8. Orlando, Florida
- Median rent: $900
- Share of affordable apartments: 78.4%
9. Hartford, Connecticut
- Median rent: $900
- Share of affordable apartments: 83.5%
10. Columbia, South Carolina
- Median rent: $900
- Share of affordable apartments: 84.6%
Explore More: America’s 50 Wealthiest Suburbs in 2025
11. Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Median rent: $895
- Share of affordable apartments: 87.1%
12. Phoenix
- Median rent: $895
- Share of affordable apartments: 90.2%
13. Omaha, Nebraska
- Median rent: $895
- Share of affordable apartments: 92.4%
14. Las Vegas
- Median rent: $888
- Share of affordable apartments: 88.6%
See More: 5 Affordable Small Cities To Live In on the West Coast
15. Little Rock, Arkansas
- Median rent: $875
- Share of affordable apartments: 90.5%
16. Greenville, South Carolina
- Median rent: $875
- Share of affordable apartments: 81.5%
17. Philadelphia
- Median rent: $867
- Share of affordable apartments: 80.9%
18. Syracuse, New York
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 84.6%
Find More: 20 Best Cities Where You Can Buy a House for Under $100K
19. Springfield, Massachusetts
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 57.6%
20. Richmond, Virginia
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 90.3%
21. Palm Bay, Florida
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 79.4%
22. Lakeland, Florida
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 68.8%
Also Know: The Wealthiest Suburb in Each of America’s 50 Largest Metro Areas
23. Fresno, California
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 74.0%
24. Des Moines, Iowa
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 94.3%
25. Deltona, Florida
- Median rent: $850
- Share of affordable apartments: 71.4%
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 25 Cities Where You Can Rent a Room for Less Than $1,000 a Month
