Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Pleasant Hill, IA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.2% of gross income.
Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:
Compare with full rent data for Pleasant Hill
View full rent data for Pleasant Hill, IA →Frequently asked questions
Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Pleasant Hill, IA?
Median rent in Pleasant Hill is $1,346 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Iowa earns about $61,714 a year, which makes that rent 26.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Pleasant Hill?
Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Iowa (~$61,714/yr) supports up to $1,543 a month in rent. Pleasant Hill's current median rent is $1,346/mo, which leaves a $197/mo buffer.
How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Pleasant Hill?
At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Iowa works roughly 45.4 hours a month to cover Pleasant Hill's median rent of $1,346.
Where is rent cheaper than Pleasant Hill for an elementary school teacher?
Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include North Liberty ($1,345/mo), Cedar Falls ($1,345/mo), Cedar Falls ($1,344/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.