I will be an upcoming grad student but do not want to live near a school campus. Where else can I live that is affordable for a student?

Apart from its major colleges, Tallahassee is quite a small town embedded with hundreds of Tallahassee apartments to choose from. Although geography will certainly limit the scope of your apartment search, Tallahassee has plenty of affordable off campus housing options.

For starters, you may want to omit the Southwest area of Tallahassee from your search. This area, although ignited with the most affordable housing in the city, is where the Florida State, TCC and FAMU campuses are located. Much of this area is dominated by larges masses of student populations and can tend to overt boisterous atmospheric environments. Meaning, you may not ever experience much peace or personal time here.

However, keep in mind the further away from campus you live, the less student-focused your units may be. The ambiguous term of "student focused" can mean several things. First, rent prices may not be as low as those in Southwest Tallahassee. Second, many students get perks when living near campus. These can include parking spots, twenty-four hour fitness centers, tanning beds, campus discounts and more.

If you are still keen towards moving away from the college area, Id first recommend to search just North or East of the college districts of Tallahassee.

Northeast Tallahassee provides a family-friendly atmosphere within a quiet, residential area. Starting at I-10 and extending all the way to North to Bradfordville Road, Northeast Tallahassee attracts many families and middle-aged adults. This area offers more upscale and luxurious apartments. Although most units here are bigger than in Southeast Tallahassee, they will be pricier. However, do not expect to give over an arm and a leg, this area is quite affordable for being in such a well-kept and reputable residential neighborhood.

If you will be living in town, you may want to consider searching for Tallahassee apartments in the Northeast district. This area surrounds Capital Circle to W. Tharpe Street. A benefit of living in this community is easy access to the airport, downtown, local shopping and parks. However, many parts of this area are still developing, resulting in construction and rural plantations. Apartments near Tallahassee are much cheaper in this area and may even reflect some of the unit pricing in Southwest Tallahassee. Like the Northeast district, this part of town is much quieter and laid back—even more so than homes in the Northeast neighborhoods.

Downtown Tallahassee is always a viable option for those who do not mind a fair amount of traffic during rush hour. However, downtown, like most cities, come with a price. Homes in this area are more modern and upgraded with sky top lounges and trendy bars. Expect to see a decent amount of graduates and business professionals in this neighborhood. This is a very ideal place to live if you are looking to land a great internship or employment opportunity while continuing your studies.

There are several distinct districts of Tallahassee to consider when looking for a place to call home not too far from your classes. However, expect to pay a little more when living outside of the student-housing zone. Northeast and Northwest Tallahassee are just minutes from the college campuses and can provide you with neighboring residential and affordable homes.

These are the opinions of writers and not the opinions of RentTally.com or any of our advertising partners.