81% of rentals in Jacksonville 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, Jacksonville, FL, bucks this trend: 80.6% of Jacksonville rentals are affordable for teachers, up from 43.6% last year but actually 3% lower 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 Jacksonville rentals affordable for teachers? Let’s find out.
Why are Jacksonville rentals affordable to teachers?
Jacksonville is so affordable for teachers largely because of low housing costs and near-average wages.
As of 2024, the median wage for Jacksonville teachers was $76,004, incredibly high given the area’s below-average cost of living. The median rent for teachers in Jacksonville is $1,465, down 14.3% from 2023, compared to the nationwide median of $1,647, up over 30% from 2019.
Nationwide inflation has affected cities across the country and pushed the cost of living to historic highs. However, Florida metros continue to see outsized increases in their cost of living, largely due to rising housing costs and a climate-driven insurance crisis. This leaves Florida teachers even more reliant on wage increases to make ends meet – a difficult thing to hope for given that 22 separate state laws control teacher salaries.
Fortunately, teachers in Jacksonville have seen consistent wage increases since 2019, and rent prices have remained below the national median. Recent statewide rent decreases due to an oversupply of apartments and drop in demand have helped, too.
Unfortunately, teachers make the least amount of money in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis passed a bill restricting teacher unions – often the deciding factor for a successful bargaining agreement. Teacher unions have since sued. DeSantis has also increased funding for wages, but unions say it’s not enough. States that allow collective bargaining pay educators an average of 18% more.
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.
