"he could only afford to live in a "far-flung, car only" suburb..."
and watch abos sleep in the road...
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Sounds suspiciously like Williston, North Dakota:
"...The most expensive place to rent new housing in the US isn't Miami, LA or even New York. Thanks to the fracking boom, it's Williston, North Dakota, where Walmart pays $20/hour and new arrivals sleep in shipping containers..." http://www.theguardian.com/cities/20...gold-rush-city
it's about the same... only you sleep in a 3X1 bedroom house 1.5 hours away from the town center where you work. you house is still classifed in perth though.