82% of rentals in Atlanta are affordable for teachers – among the highest shares in the nation
For many teachers, finding a place to live that doesn’t break the bank can be nearly impossible, as rising costs of living and meager wage increases strain budgets.
However, Atlanta, GA, bucks this trend: 82% of Atlanta rentals are affordable for teachers, up from 61% last year but just 6% higher than 2019.
Nationwide, 47.9% of rentals are affordable to teachers – up from 40.7% last year but much lower than 2019, when 58% of rentals were affordable. These figures underscore how much rents have outpaced wages, especially since the pandemic. This effect is beginning to wear off, though, as rent prices stabilize.
So why are so many Atlanta rentals affordable for teachers? Let’s find out.
Why are Atlanta rentals affordable to teachers?
Atlanta is so affordable for teachers largely because of its low housing costs and relatively high wages.
As of 2024, the median wage for Atlanta teachers was $76,004, incredibly high given the area’s below-average cost of living. The median rent for teachers in Atlanta is $1,573, down 0.9% from 2023, compared to the nationwide median of $1,647, up over 30% from 2019.
The cost of living has increased across the nation and somewhat affected Atlanta, but teachers have been getting pay raises to help combat it. Georgia passed a statewide eight-percent pay raise for teachers in 2020, the largest in its history. That’s one of the reasons teacher affordability increased so dramatically in 2023.
And more locally, Atlanta Public Schools passed an 11% pay raise for the 2024-25 school year, helping to fill a quickly-rising pool of vacancies. However, many Atlanta teachers still have to take on multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Income inequality remains pervasive, too, with white employees taking home more than three-times what a Black employee makes (not exclusive to teachers). This is especially important given Atlanta’s diverse and growing population.
Metros with high wages and relatively low rent prices are generally the most affordable for teachers. Metros in the Rust Belt, including Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cincinnati, all have above-average affordability for this reason.
What’s happening with teacher affordability nationwide?
Nationally, teacher salary growth has actually outpaced rent price growth. The average public school teacher salary in 2023-2024 is ~$72,000, up 3.1% from the year prior, while median asking rents increased just 0.4% over the same time period. Rent growth is slowing or reversing in some parts of the country due to an increase in apartment supply.
Still, many teachers are struggling to find affordable rentals. Rent growth has slowed but remains just $53 below its 2022 record high, and teacher salaries have not kept pace with recent historic inflation. In fact, teacher salaries are actually 5% lower than a decade ago when adjusted for inflation. The combination of high rent prices, persistent inflation, and modest wage increases has resulted in record-low affordability.
However, in metros where teachers are paid more, affordability is often slightly better. An exception is in places with exceptionally expensive rentals, like San Jose and New York. These metros have among the lowest number of rentals affordable to teachers, even though median wages reach above $100,000.
Where do we go from here?
Homeownership remains out of reach for many educators, who, unlike many modern workers, don’t have the flexibility to work remotely from somewhere more affordable. Unfortunately, rentals are also quite expensive in many cities.
A few ways to help increase the amount of housing affordable to teachers include building affordable housing near schools, increasing pay, and allowing collective bargaining.
10 Most Affordable Metros for Teachers Looking to Rent
| Metro | Average share of rentals affordable to teachers* | YoY change in share of affordable rentals (ppts)* | Median asking rent | YoY change in median asking rent | Median teacher salary | YoY change in median teacher salary |
| Portland, OR | 91.3% | +16.4 ppts | $1,799 | -3.8% | $95,486 | +16.0% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 83.9% | +8.3 ppts | $1,465 | -3.5% | $71,162 | +3.9% |
| Atlanta, GA | 82.0% | +21.0 ppts | $1,573 | -0.9% | $76,004 | +15.3% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 80.6% | +37.0 ppts | $1,465 | -14.3% | $68,436 | +4.3% |
| Houston, TX | 78.8% | +2.0 ppts | $1,299 | +9.6% | $65,624 | +4.8% |
| Riverside, CA | 78.4% | +4.0 ppts | $2,315 | +1.8% | $102,309 | +2.0% |
| Seattle, WA | 77.5% | +9.4 ppts | $2,075 | -3.5% | $98,573 | +8.0% |
| Cincinnati, OH | 74.2% | -3.9 ppts | $1,356 | +9.9% | $65,464 | +4.9% |
| Detroit, MI | 69.9% | -2.1 ppts | $1,392 | +1.6% | $64,139 | -0.1% |
| Sacramento, CA | 67.2% | +17.0 ppts | $2,047 | +1.6% | $90,426 | +10.5% |
Table sorted by average share of rentals affordable to teachers
*Within commuting distance of school
Methodology
According to a Redfin analysis of local median teacher salaries and rental listings in commuting distance of public and private PreK-12 schools across 33 major U.S. metropolitan areas, as of July 2024. Rental data only covers apartments listed on Rent. and Redfin.
School location data came from GreatSchools. The 20-minute rush hour commute time was determined for each school using the WalkScore Travel Time API.
Annual teacher wage data came from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program and covers the 2022-2023 school year (valid May 2023), unless otherwise noted.
A listing is considered “affordable” if the monthly payment was estimated to be no more than 30% of the metro area’s median monthly teacher income.
