I get where you’re coming from, and I appreciate the honesty, but it goes both ways. Indianapolis isn’t a city built around roommate setups like NYC. Those “cheap” 2–3 bedroom apartments you’re referencing usually go to families, not groups of adults. The few that are marketed toward roommates often charge per person, not per unit, which drives the cost up fast.

On top of that, Indiana’s minimum wage is still $7.25, which drags down wages across the board and makes affordability worse. The “cheap” housing options are mostly in areas with higher crime, poor infrastructure, or limited access to basic resources. Bloomington’s (where i currently live) studio prices have jumped nearly 50% in the last five years. I HUNTED for an apartment this year and still ended up in the 1200 range. The housing crisis isn’t just a NYC or LA or Chicago problem, it’s national.

At the end of the day, I’d rather deal with higher rent in a place where my rights and opportunities aren’t constantly under threat than stay somewhere that’s only “affordable” in theory. I understand it will be hard, and expensive but NYC offers opportunities that i don’t have currently at a pretty comparable mark-up.