Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Boone, IA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 18.4% of gross income.

Boone rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Iowa state estimate).

Boone median rent
$947/mo
Elementary School Teacher salary (Iowa)
$61,714/yr
Rent as % of income
18.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,143, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,543/mo in rent. Boone's median rent of $947 leaves roughly $596/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 Iowa cities have lower median rent than Boone, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:

Urbandale, IA
$944/mo (18.4% of income)
Marshalltown, IA
$941/mo (18.3% of income)
Davenport, IA
$941/mo (18.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Boone

View full rent data for Boone, IA

Frequently asked questions

Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Boone, IA?

Median rent in Boone is $947 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Iowa earns about $61,714 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 Boone?

Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Iowa (~$61,714/yr) supports up to $1,543 a month in rent. Boone's current median rent is $947/mo, which leaves a $596/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Iowa works roughly 31.9 hours a month to cover Boone's median rent of $947.

Where is rent cheaper than Boone for an elementary school teacher?

Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Urbandale ($944/mo), Marshalltown ($941/mo), Davenport ($941/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.

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