Go to Zillow.com, set your budget, pick a state, search. Be flexible and creative. There’s plenty out there. MOVE. You don’t get to pick a place just because you want it - when others want it too and are willing to pay more for it.
Our commercialism culture teaches youth they can have what they want - unfamiliar with competing for strictly limited supply vs high demand.
not defending millenials, but I think general outrage and concern over a 25%+ rise in home prices YOY (even higher for the cheapest homes) is quite warranted. Interest rates only came down marginally from 2019.