Rent in a city like Appleton, WI (a random small Midwestern industrial city) averages $659 for a 1br: https://appleton.craigslist.org/search/apa?min_price=&max_pr...

Sharing a 2br is even cheaper. And this is only if one wants to buy a house all-cash.

Another traditional route to homeownership in Midwestern cities is purchasing a 2-family house. The tenant's rent generally covers the house's mortgage, even at today's interest rates: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/701-Broad-St-Menasha-WI-5...?