Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Cape Girardeau, MO?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.5% of gross income.
Cape Girardeau rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Missouri 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 Missouri cities have lower median rent than Cape Girardeau, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:
Compare with full rent data for Cape Girardeau
View full rent data for Cape Girardeau, MO →Frequently asked questions
Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Cape Girardeau, MO?
Median rent in Cape Girardeau is $1,004 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Missouri earns about $61,714 a year, which makes that rent 19.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Cape Girardeau?
Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Missouri (~$61,714/yr) supports up to $1,543 a month in rent. Cape Girardeau's current median rent is $1,004/mo, which leaves a $539/mo buffer.
How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Cape Girardeau?
At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Missouri works roughly 33.8 hours a month to cover Cape Girardeau's median rent of $1,004.
Where is rent cheaper than Cape Girardeau for an elementary school teacher?
Nearby Missouri cities with lower median rent include Waynesville ($1,003/mo), Warrensburg ($1,001/mo), Bolivar ($1,000/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.