Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Pine Bluff, AR?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20% of gross income.

Pine Bluff rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).

Pine Bluff median rent
$1,070/mo
Police Officer salary (Arkansas)
$64,134/yr
Rent as % of income
20%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,345, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,603/mo in rent. Pine Bluff's median rent of $1,070 leaves roughly $533/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 34.7 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 Pine Bluff, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Fort Smith, AR
$1,069/mo (20% of income)
Van Buren, AR
$1,066/mo (19.9% of income)
Fort Smith, AR
$1,066/mo (19.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Pine Bluff

View full rent data for Pine Bluff, AR →

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Pine Bluff, AR?

Median rent in Pine Bluff is $1,070 a month. A typical police officer in Arkansas earns about $64,134 a year, which makes that rent 20% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Pine Bluff?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arkansas (~$64,134/yr) supports up to $1,603 a month in rent. Pine Bluff's current median rent is $1,070/mo, which leaves a $533/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $31 an hour, a police officer in Arkansas works roughly 34.7 hours a month to cover Pine Bluff's median rent of $1,070.

Where is rent cheaper than Pine Bluff for a police officer?

Nearby Arkansas cities with lower median rent include Fort Smith ($1,069/mo), Van Buren ($1,066/mo), Fort Smith ($1,066/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 Pine Bluff, AR. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.