[trendroid]

>On the other hand, in Omaha, Nebraska, I found some comparable apartments at $500/mo.

This is true for Wisconsin also. I think OP is hitting the right point that many states easily allow you to live comfortably at around 30k p.a. (after taxes). It depends a lot on whether you have a family or not, party a lot or not, materialistic in general or not.

>cheap housing in the U.S. implies almost no public transport options

I am not a citizen but this isn't true for Milwaukee where I have been living for almost 2 years now. I have not needed a car because bus service is awesome and Uber (or Lyft) help me out other times. It also helps if bike tracks are good in your city, so that's another factor to lookout for.