If you’re young, are willing to tolerate roommates and some of the other aspects of bohemian poverty, then I can see this being a good option for you. Living in a navigable city may drastically improve your quality of life—I know something of what it’s like to feel trapped in a suburban area due to disability. The freedom of movement could open a lot of opportunity for you, especially socially.

There may also be a lot more opportunity for advancement in this area relative to a college town. But, to everyone else’s point, a GS5 position is going to put you in a tight spot financially. You’ll want to balance modest expectations on living situation and disposable income, and how you spend your free time. If you have an interest, hobby, special skill, or anything that could let you use some of your free time toward a second income, then I think this becomes a much better proposition for you. Lots of folks work in hospitality (bars, food service, etc) or in special interests (bike shops, speciality retail, teaching something) in order to give their budgets a bit of breathing room. As a young man in the late 90’s I kept a second job at a store that catered to my hobby and it subsidized the hobby, gave me some budget padding as I moved up the ladder, and filled my free time in a way that earned rather than spent.