Many cities in the Midwest are growing and fairly cheap. I was talking to someone from Des Moines and their rent was really low compared to larger or coastal cities
Des Moines is great. Cheap, good jobs, big enough to get decent concerts/theater tours, and small enough to feel a sense of community. Only downside is ~1-2 months of brutal weather in the winter.
In response to the parent comment, the reason it's largely escaped these effects is that the economy is anchored in insurance and financial services rather than manufacturing.
There's also a big ag-tech sector and growing bio-tech industry if you include Ames which is a university town about 30 miles North.
^^^ No, the big coastal cities are outliers in America. Most Americans do not live near one of the big expensive cities.
Growing, thriving cities like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Charlotte, Phoenix, Minneapolis, etc. are all relatively inexpensive. As are numerous smaller cities like Nashville, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, etc.
The median price to purchase a home in America is ~$240k IIRC, hardly expensive.