U.S. home sales skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting a 15-year high of 6.1 million in 2021. The spike in demand, coupled with declining inventory, have put upward pressure on housing prices. Renters have not been spared, as housing has become one of the key drivers of surging U.S. inflation.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank, a family of four – two adults and two children – can expect to pay an estimated $15,031 on housing in 2022. This amount varies across the country, however, from state to state and city to city.

Of the 14 metro areas in Georgia, Dalton has the lowest housing costs. According to the EPI’s Family Budget Calculator, a modest two-bedroom rental in the metro area will cost an estimated $9,036 in 2022, including utilities. For context, the statewide average cost of a comparable apartment is estimated at $12,152.

Rent prices often reflect the overall real estate market in a given area, and this pattern appears to hold in Dalton. Just as rents in the area are lower than the statewide average, so too, are home values. According to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the typical home in the metro area is worth $136,800, compared to the median home value of $190,200 across the state.

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Below are some of the cities with the lowest rents in the United States.

State	Metro area with lowest rental cost	Est. 2-bedroom rental cost, 2022, metro area ($)	Est. 2-bedroom rental cost, 2022, statewide ($)	Median home value, metro area ($)	Median home value, statewide ($)
Alabama	Dothan	8,472	9,784	131,600	149,600
Alaska	Anchorage	14,640	14,566	301,100	275,600
Arizona	Sierra Vista-Douglas	10,488	13,875	150,100	242,000
Arkansas	Fort Smith	8,736	8,993	119,500	133,600
California	Visalia	11,508	23,734	223,600	538,500
Colorado	Pueblo	10,032	17,157	172,500	369,900
Connecticut	Norwich-New London	14,724	17,127	246,800	279,700
Delaware	Dover	12,792	14,037	226,600	258,300
Florida	Sebring-Avon Park	10,452	15,232	120,500	232,000
Georgia	Dalton	9,036	12,152	136,800	190,200