03
Share of pay
What it means for real county jobs
Nine public roles against a two-bedroom home. This page marks the line at 35 percent of gross pay and treats anything past 50 percent as severe.
Share of pay spent on rent, before and after
Upper bar is today’s market rent of $2,137. Lower bar is the Upward rent of $1,500. Dashed line is 35 percent.
At or under 35%Cost burdenedSeverely cost burdened
Every household saves the same $7,640 a year on a two-bedroom. It is worth very different amounts against different salaries.| Role | Annual pay | Rent at market | Rent at Upward | Worth the same as a raise of |
|---|
Educational assistant
$18.41/hr, 7 hrs, 185 days | $23,800 | 108% | 76% | 32% |
Bus driver
$25.33/hr, 5.5 hrs, 180 days | $25,100 | 102% | 72% | 30% |
Custodial associate
$18.41/hr, full time | $38,300 | 67% | 47% | 20% |
Firefighter, City of Fairview
starting | $50,643 | 51% | 36% | 15% |
Beginning teacher, WCS
bachelor’s, first year | $52,124 | 49% | 35% | 15% |
School nurse, WCS
registered nurse, starting | $53,470 | 48% | 34% | 14% |
Sheriff’s deputy
$32.30/hr, sworn patrol | $67,184 | 38% | 27% | 11% |
Teacher, 20 years, master’s
WCS | $77,482 | 33% | 23% | 10% |
Registered nurse
metro area average | $79,110 | 32% | 23% | 10% |
What the saving is worth as a raise
The same $7,640 a year, measured against each salary. This is a dollar-for-dollar comparison and ignores tax, which understates it: rent saved is after tax, a raise is not.
Educational assistant
$23,80032%
Bus driver
$25,10030%
Custodial associate
$38,30020%
Firefighter, Fairview
$50,64315%
Beginning teacher
$52,12415%
School nurse
$53,47014%
Sheriff’s deputy
$67,18411%
Teacher, 20 years
$77,48210%
Registered nurse
$79,11010%
Pay from the Williamson County Schools 2026-27 salary schedules, the Sheriff’s Office recruiting page, the City of Fairview firefighter posting, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Nashville metro mean for registered nurses. Annual figures for hourly school roles are calculated from the published hourly rate and the stated schedule; the district publishes the rate, not the annual. The first two roles are part-day and part-year positions and most of those households have a second income. The federal cost-burden definition is 30 percent of gross income; this page uses 35 percent as the working line for a county at this cost level, and states both so the choice is visible.
3.1 The roommate program
Upward communities include voluntary roommate matching, so staff can rent a room instead of a whole home. The arithmetic of sharing is what brings the lowest-paid roles within reach.
An educational assistant, by living arrangement
Share of gross pay at each option, on $23,800 a year. Dashed line is 35 percent.
Two bedroom, alone
$1,500 a month76%
One bedroom, alone
$1,230 a month62%
Two bedroom, shared by two
$750 a month38%
Three bedroom, shared by three
$653 a month33%
Four bedroom, shared by four
$550 a month28%
At or under 35%Cost burdenedSeverely cost burdened
Share of gross pay when renting a room, at Project Upward rents| Role | Annual pay | Rent per person |
|---|
One bedroom, alone
$1,230 each | Two bedroom, shared by two
$750 each | Three bedroom, shared by three
$653 each | Four bedroom, shared by four
$550 each |
|---|
| Educational assistant | $23,800 | 62% | 38% | 33% | 28% |
| Bus driver | $25,100 | 59% | 36% | 31% | 26% |
| Custodial associate | $38,300 | 39% | 24% | 20% | 17% |
| Firefighter, Fairview | $50,643 | 29% | 18% | 15% | 13% |
| Beginning teacher | $52,124 | 28% | 17% | 15% | 13% |
| School nurse | $53,470 | 28% | 17% | 15% | 12% |
| Sheriff’s deputy | $67,184 | 22% | 13% | 12% | 10% |
| Teacher, 20 years | $77,482 | 19% | 12% | 10% | 9% |
| Registered nurse | $79,110 | 19% | 11% | 10% | 8% |
Shared figures divide the Project Upward rent evenly by occupant. Roommate placement would be voluntary and matched through the employer, never assigned. Two further levers stay open: a studio or efficiency type is not in the current mix, and the sliding scale can be cut deeper at the bottom.
TakeawayRenting a whole two-bedroom alone, five of these nine roles clear 35 percent at Upward’s rents, against two today. In a three-bedroom shared by three, at $653 each, every one of the nine clears it.