​Why is rent for private rooms in Bay Area so cheap ($500-750/mo)

[Tom Smith]

Why is rent for private rooms in Bay Area so cheap ($500-750/mo)?

I am looking through craigslist rooms & shares and many people are advertising private rooms for rent in Bay Area for $500-$700/mo. Why are the room rent prices so cheap? Are private room rental prices not as competitive due to high supply and lower demand?

These are rooms in extremely high housing price places such as San Jose, Palo Alto, Fremont, etc. 

I am looking at the Houston rental market too and the prices are basically the same for private room rentals $500-$700/mo. 

[Natalie Schanne]

Tom Smith - some craigslist ads are scams. When I tried to find a place for my friend, I ran into a lot of fake posts. Hi I’m Sally I’m a travel nurse. Just western union me money... I get $750 for a room in a DC suburb, much less awesome than San Fran. Maybe these are shared rooms like bunk beds??