5 Cool -- but Hot -- Cities with Cheap Rents

A leading financial magazine recently compiled a list of great cities where one can find still find relatively cheap rents, but that are enjoyable to live in.

While many young people aim to launch their careers in huge metropolitan areas like San Francisco or Los Angeles, many may find a better deal by looking beyond the better-known population centers. The five areas listed below all have a cost of living that is at or close to the national average for students and young wage earners:

Athens

The Univ. of Georgia is located in this university town and is responsible for its original founding and its subsequent growth. The city offers free wireless Internet downtown, and the college and two area hospitals help keep the city's unemployment rate impressively low.

Where: Five Points, West Side, Downtown Cost: 650-750 dollars per month for a 1-bedroom apartment, or 750-850 dollars for a 2-bedroom unit

Atlanta

Atlanta is the capital and Georgia's most densely populated city, as well as being the center of the ninth biggest metropolitan area in continental U.S.A. It is #4 among U.S.A. cities for wi-fi access, and ranks third in the number of Fortune 500 companies located in its metropolitan area, behind New York City and Houston.

Where: Midtown, Virginia Highlands, East Atlanta Cost: 600-900 dollars per month for a 1-bedroom apartment, 800-1,350 dollars for a 2-bedroom

Austin

The capital of Texas, Austin is the state's #4 city in terms of population and the 16th largest in the United States. The city was selected as the #2 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" according to Money magazine in 2006. Thousands of graduates each year from the engineering and computer science programs at The University of Texas at Austin provide a ready work-force of young, talented, and driven employees that help to fuel the city's technology and defense industry sectors.

Where: Downtown, S. Austin Cost: 500-800 dollars per month for a 1-bedroom unit, 700-1,200 dollars for a 2-bedroom

Denver

The Denver Metropolitan Area has more federal workers than any other such area except for Washington, D.C. Among Denver's attractions are a good light-rail system and a top-20 ranking for free wireless hot spots.

Where: Lower Downtown (LoDo), Highland, West Highland Cost: 700-800 dollars per month for a 1-bedroom apartment, 900-1,200 dollars for a 2-bedroom

Minneapolis

The biggest city in Minnesota, Minneapolis is adjacent to Saint Paul, the state's capital. Availability of wireless hot spots, ease of transportation, medical trials, expenditures on university research, advanced degrees held by the work force, and general conservation of energy are so far above the national average that in 2005, Popular Science named Minneapolis the "Top Tech City" in U.S.A.

Where: Uptown, Northeast, North Loop Cost: 600-700 dollars per month for a 1-bedroom unit, 800-1,100 dollars for a two-bedroom

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Matthew Paolini is the technical director for Citybook.com Online Yellow Pages in Memphis, TN.