I'm in the US in the Mid-Atlantic in a small metro. I've generally had good luck living with strangers. Granted, I've only ever had roommates who were 24+ in age and if I ever get weird vibes when touring a place, I turn it down.

Right now, I'm living with a couple other guys who I never met before and don't have much in common with but we're all chill, reasonably clean, and respect the common areas. That stuff is much more important than anything else with roommates. Shared interests and enjoying time together are important for friendship, and shared purpose is important for comrades. However, roommates are not necessarily friends or comrades; it is important to recognize this.

Craigslist and apartments.com are where I've had the most luck with finding apartments or rooms to rent in a house. Without credit or much money, you can probably still find a house renting a room or someone looking to split an apartment. Just email a few listings saying you're employed and asking for a tour.

There are roommate specific websites, but they don't seem well utilized in my area. Maybe they are in bigger cities.

Also: Never ever pay money to anyone just to see a place. You should only pay money after touring a place. There's a lot of scammers, especially on Facebook.