Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Anniston, AL?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.8% of gross income.

Anniston rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Alabama state estimate).

Anniston median rent
$986/mo
Police Officer salary (Alabama)
$66,452/yr
Rent as % of income
17.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,538, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,661/mo in rent. Anniston's median rent of $986 leaves roughly $675/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.9 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a police officer salary

The gap between a police officer's base pay and the rent in the city they patrol is a widely tracked local affordability question. Many large-city departments now publish recruitment materials that include a local-rent comparison, because affordability has become a recruiting issue. At the national-average officer base pay, the 30% rule supports about $1,932 a month in rent. The per-city pages combine local rent with local officer-pay estimates to show where rent stays within that range.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Alabama cities have lower median rent than Anniston, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Daleville, AL
$973/mo (17.6% of income)
Tarrant, AL
$972/mo (17.6% of income)
Montgomery, AL
$967/mo (17.5% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Anniston

View full rent data for Anniston, AL

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Anniston, AL?

Median rent in Anniston is $986 a month. A typical police officer in Alabama earns about $66,452 a year, which makes that rent 17.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Anniston?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Alabama (~$66,452/yr) supports up to $1,661 a month in rent. Anniston's current median rent is $986/mo, which leaves a $675/mo buffer.

How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Anniston?

At an hourly equivalent of about $32 an hour, a police officer in Alabama works roughly 30.9 hours a month to cover Anniston's median rent of $986.

Where is rent cheaper than Anniston for a police officer?

Nearby Alabama cities with lower median rent include Daleville ($973/mo), Tarrant ($972/mo), Montgomery ($967/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Alabama state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Anniston, AL. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.