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Sacramento Rents Take Up 65 Percent Of Entry-Level Teachers' Income, Zillow Report Finds

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Rent takes up to 65 percent of entry-level teachers' income in Sacramento, a new Zillow analysis finds.

The study on housing affordability finds that nationally, entry-level teachers cannot afford the typical rent in 49 of the 50 largest U.S. markets, and would need to spend more than half of their salaries on market-rate rent in 19 of the largest markets.

Typical rent in Sacramento is $1,936 and the monthly mortgage payment on the median home is $1,520, and in comparison with entry-level teachers, mid-level teachers spend 39 percent while the highest-paid teachers spend 29 percent.

Nationally, it would take 46.8 percent of a typical starting teacher's salary to pay the median rent, 35.6 percent for a mid-career teacher, and 26.6 percent for the highest-paid teachers.

In Sacramento, entry-level teachers who own a home spend 51 percent on the median mortgage payment, mid-level teachers spend 31 percent and the highest-paid teachers spend 23 percent.

When Zillow compared that nationally, they found that teachers who own a home are in a better position -- in part due to the low mortgage interest rates. The typical mortgage payment is affordable to starting-level teachers in 31 of the top-50 metros.

But, this assumes they have managed to put 20 percent down, which is not always the case. It also assumes that they live alone.

For more information, read the full analysis here.

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