Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Pine Bluff, AR?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 18.4% of gross income.

Pine Bluff rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).

Pine Bluff median rent
$853/mo
Elementary School Teacher salary (Arkansas)
$55,676/yr
Rent as % of income
18.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $4,640, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,392/mo in rent. Pine Bluff's median rent of $853 leaves roughly $539/mo of headroom under that threshold. An elementary school teacher works roughly 31.9 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and an elementary school teacher salary

Teacher affordability is one of the sharpest local-rent lenses available, because public-school pay scales are set by state and district while rent is set by local market conditions. The result is that two teachers with identical credentials can face very different rent burdens depending on where they teach. At the national-average teacher salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,677 a month in rent — comfortable in most of the Midwest and South, tight in mid-cost cities, and out of reach without roommates in the most expensive coastal markets. The per-city pages below combine local rent with local teacher-pay estimates to show where the math works.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Arkansas cities have lower median rent than Pine Bluff, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:

Morrilton, AR
$800/mo (17.2% of income)
North Little Rock, AR
$782/mo (16.9% of income)
Fort Smith, AR
$762/mo (16.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Pine Bluff

View full rent data for Pine Bluff, AR

Frequently asked questions

Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Pine Bluff, AR?

Median rent in Pine Bluff is $853 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Arkansas earns about $55,676 a year, which makes that rent 18.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Pine Bluff?

Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Arkansas (~$55,676/yr) supports up to $1,392 a month in rent. Pine Bluff's current median rent is $853/mo, which leaves a $539/mo buffer.

How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Pine Bluff?

At an hourly equivalent of about $27 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Arkansas works roughly 31.9 hours a month to cover Pine Bluff's median rent of $853.

Where is rent cheaper than Pine Bluff for an elementary school teacher?

Nearby Arkansas cities with lower median rent include Morrilton ($800/mo), North Little Rock ($782/mo), Fort Smith ($762/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Arkansas state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Pine Bluff, AR. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.