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The average teacher can afford 47.9% of apartments for rent within commuting distance of their school, up from 40.7% in 2023 but down from 58% in pre-pandemic 2019, according to a new data report from Redfin (NASDAQ:RDFN). However, the average teacher can only afford 14.3% of homes for sale within commuting distance of their school, roughly the same from 14.4% in 2023 but down substantially from 39.1% in 2019.

Redfin noted the median U.S. teacher salary rose 3.8% year-over-year to $64,266 in 2023, outpacing rents. But teachers are making an average of 5% less than a decade ago when adjusted for inflation, according to the National Education Association.

While asking rents declined in 2023 and are now up just 0.4% from one year ago, asking rents were 21.4% above pre-pandemic levels. As for homeownership, Redfin observed the median monthly mortgage payment jumped 4.7% year-over-year in July while mortgage payments were 90.7% above pre-pandemic July 2019 levels.

California has three of the five metros where it’s hardest for teachers to buy a home, even though the state has the highest teacher salaries. In San Jose, the median teacher salary is $100,805, but the average teacher can only afford 0.1% of homes for sale within commuting distance of their school.

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“The small improvement in housing affordability for teachers who rent is only a drop in the bucket,” said Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari. “Homeownership remains out of reach for a lot of educators, who, unlike many workers today, don’t have the flexibility to work remotely from somewhere more affordable. Building affordable housing near schools should be a priority for U.S. policymakers, but that’s only half the battle, as teacher salaries have faced years of underinvestment.”

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