Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Mountain Home, AR?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.1% of gross income.

Mountain Home rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).

Mountain Home median rent
$1,183/mo
Police Officer salary (Arkansas)
$64,134/yr
Rent as % of income
22.1%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,345, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,603/mo in rent. Mountain Home's median rent of $1,183 leaves roughly $420/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 38.4 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 Mountain Home, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Fayetteville, AR
$1,176/mo (22% of income)
Little Rock, AR
$1,174/mo (22% of income)
Little Rock, AR
$1,171/mo (21.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Mountain Home

View full rent data for Mountain Home, AR

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Mountain Home, AR?

Median rent in Mountain Home is $1,183 a month. A typical police officer in Arkansas earns about $64,134 a year, which makes that rent 22.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Mountain Home?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arkansas (~$64,134/yr) supports up to $1,603 a month in rent. Mountain Home's current median rent is $1,183/mo, which leaves a $420/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $31 an hour, a police officer in Arkansas works roughly 38.4 hours a month to cover Mountain Home's median rent of $1,183.

Where is rent cheaper than Mountain Home for a police officer?

Nearby Arkansas cities with lower median rent include Fayetteville ($1,176/mo), Little Rock ($1,174/mo), Little Rock ($1,171/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 Mountain Home, AR. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.