Yeah no kidding. You think it was a coincidence that all the new built 2 bedroom apartments in Cincinatti ended up costing the exact same as the ones in Denver or Portland? The national convergence of rent prices over the 2010s was a real sight to behold. Those in major metros were cushioned by wage increases, but the people stuck paying $1800 for an apartment in the midwest got absolutely screwed.
* Nods in agreement and cries from my 1200$ one bedroom unit in a Midwest college town *
To be honest, I could have found a cheaper place as a grad student. I just wanted to live in a newer place, closer to my lab. But pretty much every new construction is priced as if it’s in a major city. There are a few buildings here in Champaign Urbana where the rent matches the rent in areas close to downtown Chicago.
> Nods in agreement and cries from my 1200$ one bedroom unit in a Midwest college town
Having lived in a remote college town long before such software could have been popular, I think a lot of college towns were probably already overpriced. There’s an almost guaranteed supply (students), often growing (as more students are accepted each year), and universities are often slow to build their own housing. Students want to be close to campus, often don’t have a car, and have access to cheap loans so landlords nearby can charge inflated rates.
