Rent Affordability for An Elementary School Teacher in Washington

A typical elementary school teacher in Washington earns about $75,130 a year, which supports approximately $1,878 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Washington city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 33 of 115 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 82 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕	Median rent↕	% of income↑	Affordability
Longview, WA	$1,297/mo	20.7%	affordable
Yakima, WA	$1,330/mo	21.2%	affordable
Cheney, WA	$1,343/mo	21.5%	affordable
Clarkston, WA	$1,350/mo	21.6%	affordable
Aberdeen, WA	$1,370/mo	21.9%	affordable
Centralia, WA	$1,433/mo	22.9%	affordable
Pullman, WA	$1,454/mo	23.2%	affordable
Moses Lake, WA	$1,451/mo	23.2%	affordable
Ocean Shores, WA	$1,453/mo	23.2%	affordable
Kelso, WA	$1,469/mo	23.5%	affordable
Chehalis, WA	$1,476/mo	23.6%	affordable
Spokane, WA	$1,483/mo	23.7%	affordable
Ellensburg, WA	$1,487/mo	23.8%	affordable
Spokane Valley, WA	$1,525/mo	24.4%	affordable
Walla Walla, WA	$1,556/mo	24.9%	affordable
Kennewick, WA	$1,654/mo	26.4%	affordable
Selah, WA	$1,652/mo	26.4%	affordable
Wenatchee, WA	$1,679/mo	26.8%	affordable
Richland, WA	$1,697/mo	27.1%	affordable
Airway Heights, WA	$1,698/mo	27.1%	affordable
Pasco, WA	$1,707/mo	27.3%	affordable
Leavenworth, WA	$1,719/mo	27.5%	affordable
Lakewood, WA	$1,734/mo	27.7%	affordable
Colbert, WA	$1,740/mo	27.8%	affordable
Burien, WA	$1,748/mo	27.9%	affordable
Parkland, WA	$1,759/mo	28.1%	affordable
Tacoma, WA	$1,773/mo	28.3%	affordable
Liberty Lake, WA	$1,795/mo	28.7%	affordable
Fife, WA	$1,794/mo	28.7%	affordable
Vancouver, WA	$1,803/mo	28.8%	affordable
Grandview, WA	$1,800/mo	28.8%	affordable
Shelton, WA	$1,803/mo	28.8%	affordable
Steilacoom, WA	$1,805/mo	28.8%	affordable
Bremerton, WA	$1,879/mo	30%	stretched
Bellingham, WA	$1,908/mo	30.5%	stretched
University Place, WA	$1,916/mo	30.6%	stretched
Everett, WA	$1,919/mo	30.7%	stretched
Washougal, WA	$1,930/mo	30.8%	stretched
Pacific, WA	$1,926/mo	30.8%	stretched
Federal Way, WA	$1,944/mo	31.1%	stretched
Seatac, WA	$1,947/mo	31.1%	stretched
Kent, WA	$1,958/mo	31.3%	stretched
Sedro-Woolley, WA	$1,959/mo	31.3%	stretched
Olympia, WA	$1,969/mo	31.4%	stretched
Oak Harbor, WA	$1,967/mo	31.4%	stretched
Shoreline, WA	$1,971/mo	31.5%	stretched
Lynden, WA	$1,971/mo	31.5%	stretched
La Center, WA	$1,970/mo	31.5%	stretched
Tukwila, WA	$1,990/mo	31.8%	stretched
Port Angeles, WA	$1,988/mo	31.8%	stretched
Port Orchard, WA	$2,006/mo	32%	stretched
Riverton-Boulevard Park, WA	$2,002/mo	32%	stretched
Midland, WA	$2,016/mo	32.2%	stretched
West Richland, WA	$2,026/mo	32.4%	stretched
Clover Creek, WA	$2,028/mo	32.4%	stretched
Auburn, WA	$2,032/mo	32.5%	stretched
Des Moines, WA	$2,055/mo	32.8%	stretched
Tumwater, WA	$2,051/mo	32.8%	stretched
Enumclaw, WA	$2,060/mo	32.9%	stretched
Burlington, WA	$2,059/mo	32.9%	stretched
Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA	$2,068/mo	33%	stretched
Lacey, WA	$2,075/mo	33.1%	stretched
Silverdale, WA	$2,093/mo	33.4%	stretched
Mountlake Terrace, WA	$2,112/mo	33.7%	stretched
Ferndale, WA	$2,110/mo	33.7%	stretched
Lynnwood, WA	$2,122/mo	33.9%	stretched
Arlington, WA	$2,123/mo	33.9%	stretched
Stanwood, WA	$2,133/mo	34.1%	stretched
Milton, WA	$2,152/mo	34.4%	stretched
Battle Ground, WA	$2,163/mo	34.5%	stretched
Edgewood, WA	$2,169/mo	34.6%	stretched
East Wenatchee, WA	$2,179/mo	34.8%	stretched
Puyallup, WA	$2,199/mo	35.1%	stretched
Sumner, WA	$2,219/mo	35.4%	stretched
Camas, WA	$2,221/mo	35.5%	stretched
Seattle, WA	$2,227/mo	35.6%	stretched
Renton, WA	$2,252/mo	36%	stretched
Frederickson, WA	$2,270/mo	36.3%	stretched
Edmonds, WA	$2,278/mo	36.4%	stretched
Mukilteo, WA	$2,355/mo	37.6%	stretched
Yelm, WA	$2,364/mo	37.8%	stretched
Ridgefield, WA	$2,372/mo	37.9%	stretched
Monroe, WA	$2,382/mo	38%	stretched
Mill Creek, WA	$2,391/mo	38.2%	stretched
Mount Vernon, WA	$2,402/mo	38.4%	stretched
Poulsbo, WA	$2,420/mo	38.7%	stretched
Blaine, WA	$2,443/mo	39%	stretched
Newcastle, WA	$2,461/mo	39.3%	stretched
Covington, WA	$2,491/mo	39.8%	stretched
Marysville, WA	$2,499/mo	39.9%	stretched
Bothell, WA	$2,523/mo	40.3%	rent-burdened
Graham, WA	$2,523/mo	40.3%	rent-burdened
Anacortes, WA	$2,550/mo	40.7%	rent-burdened
Woodinville, WA	$2,560/mo	40.9%	rent-burdened
Redmond, WA	$2,577/mo	41.2%	rent-burdened
Kirkland, WA	$2,619/mo	41.8%	rent-burdened
Kenmore, WA	$2,623/mo	41.9%	rent-burdened
Bonney Lake, WA	$2,627/mo	42%	rent-burdened
Gig Harbor, WA	$2,632/mo	42%	rent-burdened
Dupont, WA	$2,627/mo	42%	rent-burdened
Snohomish, WA	$2,646/mo	42.3%	rent-burdened
Kingston, WA	$2,667/mo	42.6%	rent-burdened
Lake Forest Park, WA	$2,710/mo	43.3%	rent-burdened
Spanaway, WA	$2,733/mo	43.7%	rent-burdened
Bellevue, WA	$2,759/mo	44.1%	rent-burdened
Mercer Island, WA	$2,796/mo	44.7%	rent-burdened
Camano Island, WA	$2,866/mo	45.8%	rent-burdened
Issaquah, WA	$2,929/mo	46.8%	rent-burdened
North Bend, WA	$2,958/mo	47.2%	rent-burdened
Lake Stevens, WA	$2,982/mo	47.6%	rent-burdened
Maple Valley, WA	$2,985/mo	47.7%	rent-burdened
Bainbridge Island, WA	$2,989/mo	47.7%	rent-burdened
Fircrest, WA	$2,998/mo	47.9%	rent-burdened
Snoqualmie, WA	$3,312/mo	52.9%	severely rent-burdened
Sammamish, WA	$3,350/mo	53.5%	severely rent-burdened

Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Washington. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).