Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Glendale, AZ?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.4% of gross income.

Glendale rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arizona state estimate).

Glendale median rent
$1,524/mo
Police Officer salary (Arizona)
$74,952/yr
Rent as % of income
24.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,246, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,874/mo in rent. Glendale's median rent of $1,524 leaves roughly $350/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 42.3 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 Arizona cities have lower median rent than Glendale, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Paradise Valley, AZ
$1,522/mo (24.4% of income)
Sierra Vista, AZ
$1,522/mo (24.4% of income)
El Mirage, AZ
$1,520/mo (24.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Glendale

View full rent data for Glendale, AZ

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Glendale, AZ?

Median rent in Glendale is $1,524 a month. A typical police officer in Arizona earns about $74,952 a year, which makes that rent 24.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Glendale?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arizona (~$74,952/yr) supports up to $1,874 a month in rent. Glendale's current median rent is $1,524/mo, which leaves a $350/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Arizona works roughly 42.3 hours a month to cover Glendale's median rent of $1,524.

Where is rent cheaper than Glendale for a police officer?

Nearby Arizona cities with lower median rent include Paradise Valley ($1,522/mo), Sierra Vista ($1,522/mo), El Mirage ($1,520/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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