Most of the places around me pay way less than the actual cost of living

This is mathematically impossible, unless you live in a place that’s a combination of heavy commuting and like, tourism.

And this is in suburban/rural Georgia

Yeah it’s definitely mathematically impossible. Your standards of living are out of whack with local standards of living.

Even worse, most establishments are actually choosing to short-staff themselves to save money

You live in a dying town.