Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Little Rock, AR?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23% of gross income.

Little Rock rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).

Little Rock median rent
$1,230/mo
Police Officer salary (Arkansas)
$64,134/yr
Rent as % of income
23%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,345, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,603/mo in rent. Little Rock's median rent of $1,230 leaves roughly $373/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 39.9 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 Arkansas cities have lower median rent than Little Rock, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Hot Springs, AR
$1,226/mo (22.9% of income)
Maumelle, AR
$1,225/mo (22.9% of income)
Greenbrier, AR
$1,225/mo (22.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Little Rock

View full rent data for Little Rock, AR

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Little Rock, AR?

Median rent in Little Rock is $1,230 a month. A typical police officer in Arkansas earns about $64,134 a year, which makes that rent 23% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Little Rock?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arkansas (~$64,134/yr) supports up to $1,603 a month in rent. Little Rock's current median rent is $1,230/mo, which leaves a $373/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $31 an hour, a police officer in Arkansas works roughly 39.9 hours a month to cover Little Rock's median rent of $1,230.

Where is rent cheaper than Little Rock for a police officer?

Nearby Arkansas cities with lower median rent include Hot Springs ($1,226/mo), Maumelle ($1,225/mo), Greenbrier ($1,225/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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