Fairfax County ranked as one of the least affordable places in the US for teachers

Teachers can't afford to live where they work, new report shows

A new report says Fairfax County is one of the least affordable places in the country for new teachers who work in the Fairfax County Public Schools district.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A new report says Fairfax County is one of the least affordable places in the country for new teachers who work in the Fairfax County Public Schools district — and the problem is only getting worse.

What we know:

Fairfax County Public Schools did not respond to FOX 5's inquiry requesting comment on how teachers are struggling to find housing.

Outside McLean High School in McLean, Virginia, the lowest-priced home for sale in this surrounding area is nearly $900,000.

The same scenario is reportedly popping up across Fairfax County — teachers are unable to afford homes near their schools.

In one case, a teacher is reportedly bunking in a basement apartment with several others, unable to afford living on her own.

"Right now, I have a teacher that’s looking for housing, as we speak, and it’s all because she can’t afford to live in Fairfax and this is a novice teacher. This is not a brand-new teacher," said Leslie Houston, president of the Fairfax Education Association and an FCPS employee.

Houston also said that without her husband’s salary, she would not be able to afford to live in Fairfax County.

The average FCPS teacher salary is around $88,000 a year.

What they're saying:

The National Council on Teacher Quality’s report indicates FCPS teachers are priced out as teacher pay reportedly fails to keep up with housing costs.  The group says between 2019 and 2025 housing costs increased by 47-51% on average, "far outpacing the average 24% growth in beginning teacher salaries."

For FCPS teachers, the numbers are worse. FCPS teacher salaries have increased by 17% in the last five years.

"What we found is that Fairfax County ranks in the top 10 of least affordable places for teachers right now. Renting a one-bedroom apartment costs 42% of a beginning teacher's salary," said Dr. Heather Peske, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality, which conducted the report.

In Albuquerque and Detroit, there are apparently state-mandated salary increases which have allowed teacher raises to reportedly outpace housing cost increases.