Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Barling, AR?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.2% of gross income.
Barling rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).
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 Arkansas cities have lower median rent than Barling, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Barling
View full rent data for Barling, AR →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Barling, AR?
Median rent in Barling is $1,026 a month. A typical police officer in Arkansas earns about $64,134 a year, which makes that rent 19.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Barling?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arkansas (~$64,134/yr) supports up to $1,603 a month in rent. Barling's current median rent is $1,026/mo, which leaves a $577/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Barling?
At an hourly equivalent of about $31 an hour, a police officer in Arkansas works roughly 33.3 hours a month to cover Barling's median rent of $1,026.
Where is rent cheaper than Barling for a police officer?
Nearby Arkansas cities with lower median rent include Fort Smith ($1,025/mo), Jacksonville ($1,025/mo), Mountain Home ($1,025/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.