Indianapolis has two affordable ZIP codes
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA downtown cityscape on the White River at dusk.
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The ten most affordable ZIP codes in big cities for apartment rentals from rent.com will surprise you. Rent.com found average one-bedroom rents for $800 a month and under. Included are ZIP codes in Houston, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, El Paso, Indianapolis, and Columbus.
“We looked at the 25 most populated cities and found that ZIP codes in six different cities made up the top ten. The biggest surprise was that Houston had the most affordable ZIP Codes with three making our list,” explains rent.com’s Managing Director Brian Carberry. Here’s a deeper dive into the numbers, all based on average one-bedroom rents.
Houston’s three different ZIP codes included 77095 where that number hit $782.58. There at Coventry Square a pet-friendly community with swimming pool and in-unit washer and dryer you’ll pay today anywhere from $722 to $867.
Houston boasts three ZIP codes on this list
The skyline of downtown Houston, Texas shot from a bridge over the Buffalo Bayou within Eleanor … [+]
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Jacksonville’s 32111 ZIP by St. John’s River and Jacksonville University offers riverfront living at River City Landing. For $730 a month you’ll find an 850 square foot apartment with a balcony, patio or deck.
When you live in a major city like San Francisco where according to rent.com a one-bedroom will set you back $3,800 a month you lose sight of what affordability looks like. “The results here are in line with geography,” Carberry said.
Heading to the Midwest is Indianapolis a city gaining favor with Millennials for all it offers and the affordability factor. Two Indianapolis ZIP codes 46229 and 46227 made the top ten on rent.com’s list. The 46229 ZIP is mainly residential with a one-bedroom lakefront townhouse currently available from $613 to $625.
Columbus Ohio is another happening Midwest city attracting a younger population. Located less than 10 miles from downtown Columbus is the 43227 ZIP. Here the rents get truly affordable with good choices in apartments. At Royal James Plaza, one-bedrooms run from $460 to $510 a month for a 572 square foot apartment. “You may have to sacrifice living downtown to pay these low rents. For some people it’s more than worth it,” Carberry observes.
El Paso, Texas also shows up often on affordable housing lists both for owning and renting. Here the 79930 ZIP offers family-friendly parks and community events. Villa Sierra has several one-bedroom apartments now renting for $670 to $745.
Big city living for many does mean high rents in major cities like Boston, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle or San Francisco. It’s an eye-opener when you look at other areas around the country.