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Most Affordable Cities for Teachers
Teacher salaries rarely keep pace with big-city rent. These metros offer the strongest purchasing power for educators using actual local BLS wages.
Data: BLS OEWS · Local wages · 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent
Top 25 Most Affordable Cities
Cities where local Teachers salaries go furthest, ranked by lowest rent burden.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guayama, PR | $5,700 | 11.3% | A |
| 2 | Arecibo, PR | $6,120 | 12.4% | A |
| 3 | Ponce, PR | $6,456 | 13.1% | A |
| 4 | Aguadilla, PR | $6,768 | 14.8% | A |
| 5 | El Centro, CA | $16,344 | 15.2% | A |
| 6 | Las Cruces, NM | $12,504 | 16.2% | A |
| 7 | Visalia, CA | $17,688 | 17.8% | A |
| 8 | Binghamton, NY | $13,236 | 17.9% | A |
| 9 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $11,676 | 18.0% | A |
| 10 | Merced, CA | $18,036 | 18.5% | A |
| 11 | Flint, MI | $12,396 | 18.6% | A |
| 12 | San Juan-Guaynabo, PR | $7,956 | 18.9% | A |
| 13 | Mansfield, OH | $11,676 | 19.0% | A |
| 14 | Bay City, MI | $12,360 | 19.1% | A |
| 15 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $11,676 | 19.2% | A |
| 16 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $17,628 | 19.2% | A |
| 17 | Utica-Rome, NY | $14,064 | 19.3% | A |
| 18 | Farmington, NM | $13,020 | 19.3% | A |
| 19 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $13,032 | 19.3% | A |
| 20 | Toledo, OH | $12,912 | 19.4% | A |
| 21 | Yakima, WA | $16,488 | 19.5% | A |
| 22 | Springfield, OH | $13,272 | 19.6% | A |
| 23 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $11,244 | 19.7% | A |
| 24 | Decatur, AL | $11,532 | 19.8% | A |
| 25 | Sheboygan, WI | $13,392 | 19.8% | A |
How We Calculate the Affordability Grade
We use actual local wages from BLS OEWS for each metro, then divide the annual 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent by that local salary to get a rent burden percentage. Financial advisors recommend keeping housing under 30% of gross income (the "30% rule"). Grades: A <20% · B 20–25% · C 25–30% · D 30–40% · F >40%
10 Least Affordable Cities
Cities where rent puts the biggest strain on Teachers salaries.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,568 | 58.2% | F |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $31,704 | 51.9% | F |
| 3 | Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL | $29,232 | 51.0% | F |
| 4 | Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | $31,488 | 49.8% | F |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $43,248 | 44.8% | F |
| 6 | Bozeman, MT | $25,848 | 44.3% | F |
| 7 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $23,664 | 43.9% | F |
| 8 | Flagstaff, AZ | $23,052 | 43.5% | F |
| 9 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $41,796 | 42.6% | F |
| 10 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $23,532 | 41.9% | F |