Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Cedar Falls, IA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.6% of gross income.
Cedar Falls rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Iowa state estimate).
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 Cedar Falls, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:
Compare with full rent data for Cedar Falls
View full rent data for Cedar Falls, IA →Frequently asked questions
Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Cedar Falls, IA?
Median rent in Cedar Falls is $1,264 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Iowa earns about $61,714 a year, which makes that rent 24.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Cedar Falls?
Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Iowa (~$61,714/yr) supports up to $1,543 a month in rent. Cedar Falls's current median rent is $1,264/mo, which leaves a $279/mo buffer.
How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Cedar Falls?
At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Iowa works roughly 42.6 hours a month to cover Cedar Falls's median rent of $1,264.
Where is rent cheaper than Cedar Falls for an elementary school teacher?
Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Coralville ($1,263/mo), Pleasant Hill ($1,262/mo), Cedar Rapids ($1,258/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.