Flickr user Jas&Suz/JAG

No. 20: Greenville, S.C.

Average monthly rent: $587
Annual drop: -7.8%
Q4 2009 drop: -1.6%

Greenville, which has a population of 625,000, is the fourth-cheapest rental market in the country, with monthly rates at an average $587. Michelin and General Electric both have operations in the area, which is near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although the unemployment rate here was 10.7% in December and landlords were offering nearly a month and a half of free rent, such industries as information, education, and health services have recently added jobs, according to BLS figures.

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