There is a certain aspect many people do not directly factor into their choice when purchasing a home or renting an apartment. Of course, every college student knows the process of trying to find an apartment all too well. In undergrad I noticed many of my friends would look for apartments usually by sorting their choices from lowest monthly rent to highest. Some had larger budgets than others, but a cheap place always got consideration. Next, it the cost of utilities makes its way into the conversation. Some places would incorporate water or electricity into the rent cost to sweeten the deal. However, it was not until a geography nerd like me chimed in with a question such as, "Well, how far is this from campus?" or "Is there a bus that runs nearby?"
An organization called CNT has done numerous studies and has put together a very cool mapping program that allows users to visually see the true cost of housing as the element of geography is incorporated.
http://htaindex.cnt.org/mapping_tool.php#region=Muncie%2C%20IN&theme_menu=0&layer1=23&layer2=24
This link takes you to Muncie, IN--the home of my graduate college, Ball State University. It's obvious the least expensive places to live are downtown as this is where most amenities are located. You can zoom out to places like Chicago and see exactly where the train lines run as these locationally efficient housing units will require much less in transportation costs as a percentage of one's income. Very cool site; enjoy!
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