As the old saying goes, the first rule of real estate is always location, location, location. But if your dream location involves anything other than living in closet with a communal bathroom, then you can most certainly cross these major metros off your list.
According to a report from Apartment Guide, which first calculated the national median price of a rental, and then determined how many square feet that amount would afford a renter, these places certainly giving you a bang for your buck when compared to areas like Springfield, Missouri and Macon, Georgia.
So if you're not ready to ditch the traditional rules of real estate and blaze a new -- much roomier -- path, then check out the places below, pack your bags and consider heading to California.
San Diego, CA -- Carlsbad, CA -- San Marcos, CA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 420.64 feet in local square footage.
Washington, DC -- Arlington, VA -- Alexandria, VA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 405.97 feet in local square footage.
Los Angeles, CA -- Long Beach, CA -- Santa Ana, CA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 384.63 feet in local square footage.
New York, NY -- Newark, NJ -- Jersey City, NJ
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 374.64 feet in local square footage.
Oxnard, CA -- Thousand Oaks, CA -- Ventura, CA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 371.04 feet in local square footage.
Los Angeles, CA -- Long Beach, CA -- Anaheim, CA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 341.78 feet in local square footage.
Boston, MA -- Cambridge, MA -- Newton, NH
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 340.56 feet in local square footage.
Bridgeport, CT -- Stamford, CT -- Norwalk, CT
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 338.13 feet in local square footage.
San Francisco, CA -- Oakland, CA -- Fremont, CA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 284.88 feet in local square footage.
San Jose, CA -- Sunnyvale, CA -- Santa Clara, CA
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Here, the nationwide median price of $769 will buy you 267.08 feet in local square footage.
Apartment Guide discovered that the nationwide median rental price of an entry-level studio or one bedroom apartment is $769. This means that half of these properties rent for more, half for less. How many square feet might that $769 rent you around the nation? They then determined the median entry-level apartment price per square foot in CBSAs (metros) with at least 30 properties listed on the site in April 2014. These are the most expensive.
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