Just 29% of rentals in Denver are affordable for teachers – among the lowest 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. This is especially true in Denver, where just 28.5% of rentals are affordable to teachers – up from 26.7% in 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.
But why are so few Denver rentals affordable to teachers? Let’s find out.
Why are Denver rentals unaffordable for teachers?
Denver is so unaffordable for teachers largely because wages are low and housing costs are relatively high.
As of 2024, the median wage for Denver teachers was $65,204, up 6% from last year but under the national median of $72,000. The median rent for teachers in Denver is $1,827, down 0.3% from 2023 but well above the nationwide median of $1,647, which is up over 30% from 2019.
Asking rents have risen by 9.6% since 2020, and from 2020-2023, rent increases outpaced income gains (not exclusive to teachers) by 71%. These factors put immense pressure on budgets. Rents have recently leveled out because of a surplus of supply, mirroring nationwide trends.
However, low teacher pay is why affordability really struggles. Salaries are well below the national median, so much so that Denver ranks 23rd out of the 33 largest metros for teacher pay. In fact, Denver teachers make less than teachers in Houston, where the average rent is $550 cheaper.
Insufficient pay is causing educators to live well outside their district just to afford a home. Denver’s teacher union has also argued that the district hasn’t stuck to their recently agreed-upon salary increases, which the district says it now can’t afford.
Across the state, pay has only risen by 1.1% since 2022, which is not enough to combat inflation. Lawmakers are working to improve pay in the near future.
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 New York and San Jose. These metros have among the lowest number of rentals affordable to teachers, even though median wages top $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 Least 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 |
| Miami, FL | 0.2% | +0.1 ppts | $2,430 | -3.2% | $53,297 | -11.9% |
| Orlando, FL | 6.7% | +3.6 ppts | $1,772 | -4.4% | $51,611 | +4.1% |
| San Jose, CA | 9.8% | +1.7 ppts | $3,302 | +0.8% | $100,805 | +4.7% |
| Boston, MA | 15.7% | +8.0 ppts | $2,833 | +5.1% | $84,444 | +4.8% |
| New York, NY | 20.4% | +1.9 ppts | $3,047 | +3.2% | $95,320 | +8.6% |
| Denver, CO | 26.7% | +6.2 ppts | $1,827 | -0.3% | $65,204 | +6.4% |
| Nashville, TN | 31.4% | +20.7 ppts | $1,549 | -4.8% | $56,987 | +10.8% |
| San Diego, CA | 34.6% | +33.0 ppts | $2,699 | -12.7% | $96,594 | +15.5% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 36.4% | +13.3 ppts | $1,528 | -4.4% | $57,288 | +7.4% |
| Los Angeles, CA | 37.7% | +11.3 ppts | $2,772 | -4.4% | $96,766 | +5.0% |
Table sorted by average share of rentals affordable to teachers, from low to high
*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 August 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, 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.
