Can we all agree that teachers should make six figures, or at least close to it? From the role they play in shaping young minds to the flack they have to deal with on a daily basis, it’s arguably one of the most important — and often difficult — jobs out there. Not to mention the months so many teachers spent holding 20+ kids’ attention through a computer screen…
If it were up to us, all teachers would make enough money to live comfortably wherever they please. Alas, the reality is a little less fair. So how much do teachers make? Across the country, the median salary for elementary school teachers in 2020 was $60,940. When it comes to affording housing on a teacher’s salary, some states fare better than others.
Notice anything about our map? Here are a few takeaways about the trends we see.
- Most of the best states for teachers based on rental affordability are in the Midwest. The South comes in a close second with three of the 10 top spots.
- High school teachers tend to make more than middle or elementary school teachers, but there are some exceptions in our top 10. What’s up with that, Kansas and North Dakota?
- The salary for teachers in our top 10 states ranges from $44,790 to $62,530. The average salary is lowest in South Dakota and highest in Nebraska.
The 10 best states for teachers
So how did we determine the best states for teachers when it comes to affordable rent? We looked at the percentage of a teacher’s annual income that would be required to cover the average rent in a two-bedroom apartment. Keep in mind that the experts tell us you should spend no more than 30 percent of your salary on rent. Our top 10 states all fall below that threshold.
10. Nebraska
This Midwestern state tends to bring up images of bucolic farmland and endless plains. True. But did you know this is the birthplace of Kool-Aid? And home to Warren Buffet (Omaha). There’s a lot more to these parts than rocky mountain oysters and raisin pie.
Let’s start with some impressive education stats. The graduation rate in Nebraska is a solid 90 percent. That’s just above the national average, which comes in at 88 percent. With top-ranked schools like Elkhorn High and the highest average teaching wage among our top 10 ($62,387), the Cornhusker State is a great place for teachers. So what are you waiting for? Find a teaching job in Nebraska.
9. Alabama
Do you plan your fall around college football? Dream about barbecue? Whether you roll with the Crimson Tide or roar with the Auburn Tigers, Alabama will welcome you with open arms. With a low cost of living and Southern hospitality that’s sweeter than the tea, this Deep South state is easy to fall in love with.
Land a job in a strong school district like Madison City, Homewood or Mountain Brook City Schools and you can expect to earn around $52,390 per year.
While rent on a two-bedroom will carve out just over 25 percent of your salary ($1,110), the lower-than-average cost of living ensures that your teacher salary will go far. From sophisticated Birmingham to bustling Tuscaloosa, you’re sure to find the perfect place to call home.
8. Kentucky
The second affordable Southern state to crack our top 10, the Bluegrass State serves up everything from thoroughbred horses to fine bourbon and world-famous baseball bats (ahem, Louisville Slugger). With all that time off in the summer, you can drive through Horse Country, sip your way through the Kentucky Bourbon Trail or float down the Cumberland River.
Ready to join the 42,769 teachers working in public schools here? The good news, the state needs teachers. Expect to earn a salary of just under $55,000. With the low cost of living, you should have plenty left in your budget for that Derby hat you’ve been dreaming about.
7. South Dakota
How much do you know about South Dakota? If you’re anything like us, it’s probably time to do a deep dive into a state that has a lot to offer beyond Mount Rushmore.
How would you like to live in the third least stressed state in the U.S.? Same. You also won’t pay income tax, property tax or inheritance tax…perhaps there’s a correlation with the no-stress factor. Needless to say, your teacher salary will go far in South Dakota.
Your average salary here in SD will clock in around $45,393 and you’ll pay a low $849 in rent for a two-bedroom. With great schools like Timber Lake and Brandon Valley, you’ll find plenty of places where you can make a lasting impact in your students’ lives.
6. Arkansas
The natural beauty is the star in Arkansas, but this Southern state has some other claims to fame. Beyond the picturesque lakes, rivers and hot springs, this is the birthplace of Bill Clinton, and the former home of Bill and Hillary when they were teaching at the University of Arkansas Law School (visit the Clinton House Museum to see for yourself).
Arkansas is also home to an active diamond mine, the Fouke Monster (aka the Beast of the Boggy Creek) and the mystical (and unexplained) Dover Lights over the Ozark Mountains.
With two cities on our list of the cheapest cities for renters (looking at you, Russellville and Texarkana), your paycheck will go far in Arkansas. Expect to earn around $51,093 teaching at great schools like Haas Hall Academy and Bentonville High. In keeping with the state’s low cost of living, you’ll pay a mighty reasonable $899 to rent a two-bedroom.
5. Oklahoma
Oklahoma is cooler than you think, starting with Oklahoma City, where the Flaming Lips got their start and a river runs through the middle of downtown. Across the state, you’ll find both cowboy culture and craft breweries, not to mention some of the friendliest people around. The Sooner State is the perfect place to settle if you like a slower pace.
Like most of the states in our top 10, the low cost of living is a major draw here. And did we mention the strong school systems? In the Deer Creek School District, the graduation rate is an impressive 96 percent. On average, teachers earn $49,200 and pay one of the lowest rents on our top 10 ($833 per month for two bedrooms).
4. North Dakota
North Dakota features more prairies and fewer mountains than its friendly rival to the south. It also has a reputation for being “richer,” thanks to its oil. The state is second only to Texas when it comes to U.S. oil production. And since we’re comparing the North and South Dakotas, of course, we need to look at teachers’ average salary.
Here in the North, teachers earn a salary that’s more than $10,000 above its southern sister state ($57,833 to South Dakota’s $45,393 average). Meanwhile, the rent is just under $80 more, clocking in at $928. Whether you’re teaching in Minot or Grand Forks, you’ll spend less than 20 percent of your salary on housing in our fourth-best state for teachers.
3. Kansas
Chances are, you know all about the amazing barbecue in Kansas (or you should!). And perhaps you’re aware of the very real tornado factor. But did you know that this is where the ICEE (aka the Slurpee) was invented? Kansas City is also the birthplace of White Castle. Sadly, there are no more White Castles left in the state — you’ll have to road trip to Missouri for those addictive bite-sized burgers.
Ready to toss your hat in the ring for a teaching job at one of the top-ranked schools in Kansas? You’ll do well in the Sunshine State, where the average salary is solid ($55,880) the cost of living is low, and you’ll only pay around $895 for a two-bedroom apartment. That’s less than 20 percent of your annual salary, which puts Kansas neck and neck with No. 4 South Dakota.
2. Wyoming
From wide-open spaces to the soaring snow-dusted Tetons, Wyoming is an impressively showy state. Perhaps you paid a visit to Yellowstone National Park this year along with the record number of visitors that flocked here to see Old Faithful (or simply to soak up the setting of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone). Whether you’re into skiing, fishing or soaking in mineral hot springs, you’ll find a lot of outdoor adventure in Wyoming — and not a whole lot of people. Wyoming is the country’s least-populated state, with around 580,000 residents.
Do you like mountains more than people? Join one of 2,174 teachers at a top school like Sheridan or Laramie High. You’ll earn the second-highest average salary on our top 10 — around $60,933 if you’re taking notes. Oh, your rent? Just $833 for a two-bedroom, tied with Oklahoma for the second-lowest rent in our 10 top states. However, you’ll earn a lot more here than in Oklahoma, which puts your salary-to-rent ratio at a comfortable 16.4 percent. Who needs people, right?
1. Iowa
The birthplace of Ashton Kutcher is also responsible for the salty/sweet/creamy/ crunchy goodness of scotcheroo — a beloved snack made with peanut butter, Rice Krispies, butterscotch chips and chocolate. There’s also an annual festival dedicated to bacon, but we digress. If you’re into endless cornfields, lots of snow and the occasional tornado, Iowa may just be for you.
The Hawkeye State is especially great for teachers. From second-grade teachers at Hopewell Elementary to AP Calculus instructors at Pleasant Valley High, you can expect to earn around $56,623 per year. This is good news, considering your rent will be a rock-bottom $770 per month for a two-bedroom. That makes Iowa our best state for teachers when you look at how far your paycheck will go.
The full list
OK, so obviously there are more than 10 states that are great — and highly affordable — for teachers. What about the West? And the Northwest? And heck, the East Coast? We’ve got you covered. See how all of your favorite locales stack up when it comes to the best cities for teachers.
| Rank | State | Average Wage | 2BR Rent (Monthly) | % of Salary for Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $56,623 | $770 | 16.31% |
| 2 | Wyoming | $60,933 | $833 | 16.40% |
| 3 | Kansas | $55,880 | $895 | 19.22% |
| 4 | North Dakota | $57,833 | $928 | 19.26% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | $49,200 | $833 | 20.33% |
| 6 | Arkansas | $51,093 | $899 | 21.12% |
| 7 | South Dakota | $45,393 | $849 | 22.44% |
| 8 | Kentucky | $54,197 | $1,098 | 24.31% |
| 9 | Alabama | $52,390 | $1,110 | 25.42% |
| 10 | Nebraska | $62,387 | $1,364 | 26.23% |
| 11 | Maryland | $77,917 | $1,730 | 26.64% |
| 12 | Indiana | $54,247 | $1,216 | 26.90% |
| 13 | Utah | $64,243 | $1,476 | 27.56% |
| 14 | Mississippi | $45,863 | $1,057 | 27.65% |
| 15 | Ohio | $65,110 | $1,518 | 27.97% |
| 16 | New Mexico | $56,727 | $1,332 | 28.18% |
| 17 | Vermont | $63,907 | $1,509 | 28.34% |
| 18 | Michigan | $64,923 | $1,566 | 28.94% |
| 19 | Delaware | $66,293 | $1,644 | 29.76% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $59,300 | $1,509 | 30.54% |
| 21 | West Virginia | $48,873 | $1,254 | 30.78% |
| 22 | Texas | $57,270 | $1,472 | 30.85% |
| 23 | Tennessee | $53,950 | $1,428 | 31.75% |
| 24 | South Carolina | $53,643 | $1,425 | 31.87% |
| 25 | Minnesota | $63,600 | $1,731 | 32.67% |
| 26 | Georgia | $61,457 | $1,688 | 32.95% |
| 27 | North Carolina | $51,013 | $1,473 | 34.64% |
| 28 | Connecticut | $79,753 | $2,347 | 35.31% |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $69,537 | $2,067 | 35.67% |
| 30 | Oregon | $70,687 | $2,237 | 37.98% |
| 31 | Washington | $75,970 | $2,407 | 38.01% |
| 32 | Virginia | $73,245 | $2,369 | 38.80% |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $61,377 | $2,006 | 39.22% |
| 34 | Florida | $59,623 | $1,959 | 39.43% |
| 35 | Louisiana | $50,727 | $1,671 | 39.53% |
| 36 | Missouri | $51,683 | $1,705 | 39.58% |
| 37 | Illinois | $69,173 | $2,291 | 39.73% |
| 38 | Nevada | $58,330 | $2,007 | 41.29% |
| 39 | Arizona | $49,357 | $1,727 | 42.00% |
| 40 | New York | $87,473 | $3,105 | 42.59% |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $83,850 | $3,062 | 43.82% |
| 42 | Idaho | $51,903 | $1,897 | 43.87% |
| 43 | Rhode Island | $74,653 | $2,939 | 47.24% |
| 44 | California | $84,650 | $3,384 | 47.97% |
| 45 | New Jersey | $75,727 | $3,050 | 48.34% |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $74,917 | $3,158 | 50.58% |
| 47 | Colorado | $56,710 | $2,827 | 59.82% |
| -- | Alaska | $76,923 | #N/A | #N/A |
| -- | Maine | $56,390 | #N/A | #N/A |
| -- | Montana | $52,730 | #N/A | #N/A |
| -- | Hawaii | $65,517 | #N/A | #N/A |
Methodology
Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.com’s multifamily rental property inventory as of July 2021. Our team uses a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.
States with insufficient inventory were excluded.
Teacher salary averages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are current as of May 2020, the most recent data available at the time of publication.
The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.
