Roanoke Virginia has a pretty low cost of living, you can get a studio apartment (where you won't get stabbed) for like 500 or so per month.
There really isn't a super ghetto part of town compared to bigger cities.
We've got quite a few homeless people that hang out downtown near the shelters but I honestly can't imagine not having at least a cheap apartment or rental around here, you can get by while working at walmart.