On an average teacher salary of $60k, which states allow teachers to afford a median-priced home?
| # | State | Affordable? ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | 16% | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #2 | Mississippi | 18% | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #3 | Arkansas | 20% | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #4 | Louisiana | 21% | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #5 | Alabama | 22% | $56,200 | 87 | A+ | |
| #6 | Iowa | 22% | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #7 | Kansas | 22% | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #8 | Oklahoma | 22% | $55,800 | 86 | A+ | |
| #9 | Kentucky | 23% | $55,600 | 87 | A+ | |
| #10 | Indiana | 24% | $58,600 | 90 | A+ | |
| #11 | Michigan | 24% | $63,400 | 89 | A+ | |
| #12 | Missouri | 24% | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #13 | North Dakota | 24% | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #14 | Ohio | 24% | $59,300 | 89 | A+ | |
| #15 | Nebraska | 25% | $66,500 | 91 | A+ | |
| #16 | Pennsylvania | 27% | $67,600 | 94 | A | |
| #17 | South Dakota | 27% | $62,100 | 91 | A | |
| #18 | Wisconsin | 27% | $64,800 | 93 | A | |
| #19 | Illinois | 29% | $72,200 | 93 | A | |
| #20 | New Mexico | 29% | $53,000 | 91 | A | |
| #21 | South Carolina | 30% | $56,200 | 92 | A | |
| #22 | Minnesota | 32% | $77,700 | 97 | A | |
| #23 | Wyoming | 32% | $65,000 | 95 | A | |
| #24 | Delaware | 33% | $69,100 | 102 | A | |
| #25 | Alaska | 34% | $77,800 | 127 | A | |
| #26 | Georgia | 34% | $63,400 | 93 | A | |
| #27 | Texas | 34% | $67,300 | 93 | A | |
| #28 | North Carolina | 36% | $61,000 | 95 | A | |
| #29 | Vermont | 36% | $63,400 | 110 | A | |
| #30 | Maine | 37% | $63,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #31 | Tennessee | 38% | $59,700 | 91 | B+ | |
| #32 | Virginia | 39% | $80,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #33 | Connecticut | 40% | $83,800 | 121 | B+ | |
| #34 | Maryland | 40% | $90,200 | 118 | B+ | |
| #35 | Florida | 41% | $63,100 | 103 | B+ | |
| #36 | Arizona | 42% | $65,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #37 | Idaho | 42% | $62,300 | 97 | B+ | |
| #38 | Nevada | 42% | $64,200 | 104 | B+ | |
| #39 | Rhode Island | 43% | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #40 | Montana | 45% | $60,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #41 | New Hampshire | 45% | $83,300 | 112 | B+ | |
| #42 | Oregon | 48% | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #43 | New York | 49% | $75,900 | 139 | B | |
| #44 | New Jersey | 50% | $87,700 | 121 | B | |
| #45 | Utah | 51% | $75,600 | 103 | B | |
| #46 | Colorado | 55% | $80,200 | 105 | B | |
| #47 | Massachusetts | 59% | $89,700 | 135 | C | |
| #48 | Washington | 60% | $82,100 | 115 | C | |
| #49 | California | 79% | $84,900 | 142 | F | |
| #50 | Hawaii | 84% | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of teacher affordability across all 50 states, West Virginia ranks #1 with 16%, while Hawaii ranks last at 84%. The national average is 36%.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 68%. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your teacher affordability. Use our home affordability calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
West Virginia ranks #1 with 16%. Mississippi and Arkansas round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with 84%. California and Washington are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 36%. The median is 34%.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.