As someone currently living in a "banjo playing area" (Bozeman, Montana), yeah, $14 will barely cover a studio apartment in town. You could afford an apartment in the next town over, but it would be a good 40% of your income, and now you either own a winter-capable car or walk 5-6 miles for the bus. The next city out to the west, well, you can't get a house for less than $400,000 (basically a retirement settlement). Go east you're going to be stuck on the wrong side of the pass about 1/4 of the winter.

You've got to get somewhere around 30-40 miles out of the city to buy a house on $14 an hour (assuming the 20% of income rule of thumb).