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. 32 of 115 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 83 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longview, WA | $1,284/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Centralia, WA | $1,318/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Ocean Shores, WA | $1,339/mo | 21.4% | affordable |
| Clarkston, WA | $1,350/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Yakima, WA | $1,359/mo | 21.7% | affordable |
| Pullman, WA | $1,414/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Aberdeen, WA | $1,436/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Cheney, WA | $1,474/mo | 23.5% | affordable |
| Kelso, WA | $1,485/mo | 23.7% | affordable |
| Moses Lake, WA | $1,501/mo | 24% | affordable |
| Spokane, WA | $1,513/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Chehalis, WA | $1,518/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Spokane Valley, WA | $1,549/mo | 24.7% | affordable |
| Walla Walla, WA | $1,559/mo | 24.9% | affordable |
| Shelton, WA | $1,590/mo | 25.4% | affordable |
| Leavenworth, WA | $1,591/mo | 25.4% | affordable |
| Pasco, WA | $1,656/mo | 26.5% | affordable |
| Colbert, WA | $1,658/mo | 26.5% | affordable |
| Kennewick, WA | $1,664/mo | 26.6% | affordable |
| Port Angeles, WA | $1,693/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Selah, WA | $1,695/mo | 27.1% | affordable |
| Parkland, WA | $1,703/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Lakewood, WA | $1,737/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Wenatchee, WA | $1,732/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Airway Heights, WA | $1,740/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Tacoma, WA | $1,760/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Ellensburg, WA | $1,762/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Liberty Lake, WA | $1,764/mo | 28.2% | affordable |
| Richland, WA | $1,777/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| Grandview, WA | $1,800/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Vancouver, WA | $1,822/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Burien, WA | $1,871/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Pacific, WA | $1,879/mo | 30% | stretched |
| Federal Way, WA | $1,920/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| Sedro-Woolley, WA | $1,924/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| Everett, WA | $1,939/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Bremerton, WA | $1,940/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Bellingham, WA | $1,956/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Auburn, WA | $1,954/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA | $1,956/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| University Place, WA | $1,961/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Lynden, WA | $1,962/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Fife, WA | $1,962/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Oak Harbor, WA | $1,966/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Kent, WA | $1,974/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Tumwater, WA | $1,975/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Steilacoom, WA | $1,993/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Shoreline, WA | $1,996/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Seatac, WA | $1,996/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Silverdale, WA | $1,998/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| La Center, WA | $1,998/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Midland, WA | $2,006/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Olympia, WA | $2,008/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Tukwila, WA | $2,024/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Ferndale, WA | $2,023/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Washougal, WA | $2,056/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Clover Creek, WA | $2,066/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Des Moines, WA | $2,084/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| West Richland, WA | $2,089/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Mountlake Terrace, WA | $2,109/mo | 33.7% | stretched |
| Port Orchard, WA | $2,117/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Burlington, WA | $2,125/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Edgewood, WA | $2,151/mo | 34.4% | stretched |
| Enumclaw, WA | $2,169/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Ridgefield, WA | $2,186/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Lacey, WA | $2,193/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Lynnwood, WA | $2,190/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Milton, WA | $2,191/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Renton, WA | $2,212/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Arlington, WA | $2,211/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $2,217/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Camas, WA | $2,227/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Seattle, WA | $2,238/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Yelm, WA | $2,234/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| East Wenatchee, WA | $2,240/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Riverton-Boulevard Park, WA | $2,247/mo | 35.9% | stretched |
| Puyallup, WA | $2,251/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Sumner, WA | $2,272/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Edmonds, WA | $2,290/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Kingston, WA | $2,300/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Newcastle, WA | $2,333/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Mukilteo, WA | $2,348/mo | 37.5% | stretched |
| Frederickson, WA | $2,362/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Battle Ground, WA | $2,360/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Covington, WA | $2,379/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Stanwood, WA | $2,388/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Mill Creek, WA | $2,395/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Monroe, WA | $2,430/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Graham, WA | $2,473/mo | 39.5% | stretched |
| Blaine, WA | $2,521/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Woodinville, WA | $2,557/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Poulsbo, WA | $2,556/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Kenmore, WA | $2,600/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Marysville, WA | $2,606/mo | 41.6% | rent-burdened |
| Anacortes, WA | $2,605/mo | 41.6% | rent-burdened |
| Kirkland, WA | $2,629/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Redmond, WA | $2,663/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Bothell, WA | $2,666/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Camano Island, WA | $2,700/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Mercer Island, WA | $2,746/mo | 43.9% | rent-burdened |
| Dupont, WA | $2,757/mo | 44% | rent-burdened |
| Bonney Lake, WA | $2,765/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Snohomish, WA | $2,778/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Spanaway, WA | $2,812/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Bellevue, WA | $2,837/mo | 45.3% | rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest Park, WA | $2,869/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Gig Harbor, WA | $2,966/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |
| Fircrest, WA | $2,998/mo | 47.9% | rent-burdened |
| Lake Stevens, WA | $3,023/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Issaquah, WA | $3,031/mo | 48.4% | rent-burdened |
| Bainbridge Island, WA | $3,050/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Maple Valley, WA | $3,070/mo | 49% | rent-burdened |
| Snoqualmie, WA | $3,220/mo | 51.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Bend, WA | $3,225/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sammamish, WA | $3,724/mo | 59.5% | severely rent-burdened |