Rent Affordability for An Elementary School Teacher in Tennessee
A typical elementary school teacher in Tennessee earns about $61,714 a year, which supports approximately $1,543 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Tennessee city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 28 of 72 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 44 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyersburg, TN | $800/mo | 15.6% | very comfortable |
| Dayton, TN | $815/mo | 15.8% | very comfortable |
| Brownsville, TN | $932/mo | 18.1% | very comfortable |
| Martin, TN | $961/mo | 18.7% | very comfortable |
| Elizabethton, TN | $1,067/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Athens, TN | $1,083/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Covington, TN | $1,100/mo | 21.4% | affordable |
| Greeneville, TN | $1,112/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Jefferson City, TN | $1,152/mo | 22.4% | affordable |
| Lawrenceburg, TN | $1,170/mo | 22.8% | affordable |
| Memphis, TN | $1,262/mo | 24.5% | affordable |
| Kingsport, TN | $1,289/mo | 25.1% | affordable |
| Red Bank, TN | $1,320/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Kingston, TN | $1,352/mo | 26.3% | affordable |
| East Ridge, TN | $1,379/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Clarksville, TN | $1,386/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Bristol, TN | $1,393/mo | 27.1% | affordable |
| Smithville, TN | $1,400/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Soddy-Daisy, TN | $1,408/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Cleveland, TN | $1,413/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Jackson, TN | $1,430/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Johnson City, TN | $1,468/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Morristown, TN | $1,473/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Crossville, TN | $1,481/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Cookeville, TN | $1,491/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Manchester, TN | $1,516/mo | 29.5% | affordable |
| Chattanooga, TN | $1,522/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Tullahoma, TN | $1,533/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Hixson, TN | $1,547/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Dickson, TN | $1,574/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| Columbia, TN | $1,586/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Millington, TN | $1,595/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Ashland City, TN | $1,593/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Portland, TN | $1,600/mo | 31.1% | stretched |
| Jonesborough, TN | $1,623/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Springfield, TN | $1,630/mo | 31.7% | stretched |
| Gallatin, TN | $1,635/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Seymour, TN | $1,643/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Sevierville, TN | $1,648/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Oak Ridge, TN | $1,668/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Lakeland, TN | $1,667/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Murfreesboro, TN | $1,671/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Goodlettsville, TN | $1,673/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Lebanon, TN | $1,685/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Hendersonville, TN | $1,691/mo | 32.9% | stretched |
| Lenoir City, TN | $1,691/mo | 32.9% | stretched |
| Smyrna, TN | $1,705/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Alcoa, TN | $1,716/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Knoxville, TN | $1,726/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Cordova, TN | $1,766/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Louisville, TN | $1,800/mo | 35% | stretched |
| White House, TN | $1,832/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Nashville, TN | $1,834/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Farragut, TN | $1,893/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Bartlett, TN | $1,908/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Maryville, TN | $1,938/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Brentwood, TN | $1,967/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Collierville, TN | $1,990/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| La Vergne, TN | $2,067/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Spring Hill, TN | $2,073/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Clinton, TN | $2,083/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Franklin, TN | $2,122/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Mount Juliet, TN | $2,132/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Harrison, TN | $2,145/mo | 41.7% | rent-burdened |
| Oakland, TN | $2,150/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| Corryton, TN | $2,164/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| Powell, TN | $2,172/mo | 42.2% | rent-burdened |
| Ooltewah, TN | $2,173/mo | 42.3% | rent-burdened |
| Thompsons Station, TN | $2,336/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Germantown, TN | $2,403/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Arlington, TN | $2,452/mo | 47.7% | rent-burdened |
| Collegedale, TN | $2,663/mo | 51.8% | severely rent-burdened |