But you don't HAVE to live in an urban area. If you are working a minumum wage job, you can get said minimum wage job anywhere. It's a choice. There are literally thousands of choices you can make about how you live your life that affects how much money you need to sustain said life. Education is free until college, and then there are grants, scholarships, and student loans. I agree about the health insurance problem, though. I was lucky enough to never need it while I was on the cheapie plan.