Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Richmond, KY?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.2% of gross income.
Richmond rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kentucky 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 Kentucky cities have lower median rent than Richmond, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:
Compare with full rent data for Richmond
View full rent data for Richmond, KY →Frequently asked questions
Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Richmond, KY?
Median rent in Richmond is $1,188 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Kentucky earns about $59,030 a year, which makes that rent 24.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Richmond?
Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Kentucky (~$59,030/yr) supports up to $1,476 a month in rent. Richmond's current median rent is $1,188/mo, which leaves a $288/mo buffer.
How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Richmond?
At an hourly equivalent of about $28 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Kentucky works roughly 41.9 hours a month to cover Richmond's median rent of $1,188.
Where is rent cheaper than Richmond for an elementary school teacher?
Nearby Kentucky cities with lower median rent include Oak Grove ($1,185/mo), Murray ($1,184/mo), Paducah ($1,183/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.