For singles, the cost of living can be higher without someone to split expenses with, like the rent/mortgage, groceries and utilities. But there are also distinct benefits, such as having time and space to think, the ability to decorate as you wish and the ability to lead the life you want to live. So, for those who want to keep that single lifestyle and are curious about what parts of the U.S. are best for affordable solo life, here’s a study by RentHop, an AI-powered apartment search platform, to get you started.
Most expensive cities for singles
Surprising absolutely no one, New York City is the most expensive city for singles. If you want that apartment all to yourself, you’ll pay through the teeth (and some other expendable body parts) for the honor. The median rent for a studio apartment—not even a one-bedroom!— is $3,375. Here are the top five most expensive cities for singles:
1. New York, New York
2. Miami, Florida
3. Detroit, Michigan
4. Boston, Massachusetts
5. Los Angeles, California
Most affordable cities for singles
We’re big fans of Kansas and are excited to see that Wichita is at the top of this list. It offers fascinating aviation history and is the birthplace of Pizza Hut and White Castle. It also has a great activism history, as the first place where a cafeteria sit-in happened was when Black people were sitting at an all-white lunch counter in 1958. There are also 19 museums, a food truck coalition, 10 breweries and the largest dinosaur theme park in the U.S. I think I’m going to get a divorce and move here as a single. The median studio rent here is $590. Here are the top five most affordable cities for singles:
1. Wichita, Kansas
2. Columbus, Ohio
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Seattle, Washington
5. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Worst cities for women, in particular
Now, let’s get into gender because women are still only making 84 cents for every dollar that a man makes. The list changes when the varying income levels for men and women are compared to the studio apartment costs. In El Paso, Texas, the median cost for a studio rental is $736, but since men make an average salary here of $45,566 and women make an average salary of $25,243, that difference makes it the least affordable city for women. Here is the list re-formed as the top five least affordable cities for women (unfortunately, the source does not include a corresponding most affordable cities for women list, because that would just be too helpful):
1. El Paso, Texas
2. Miami, Florida
3. San Jose, California
4. Jacksonville, Mississippi
5. Atlanta, Georgia