Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Maricopa, AZ?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.3% of gross income.

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

Maricopa median rent
$1,831/mo
Police Officer salary (Arizona)
$74,952/yr
Rent as % of income
29.3%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,246, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,874/mo in rent. Maricopa's median rent of $1,831 leaves roughly $43/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 50.8 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 Maricopa, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Sahuarita, AZ
$1,827/mo (29.3% of income)
Sun City West, AZ
$1,826/mo (29.2% of income)
El Mirage, AZ
$1,822/mo (29.2% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Maricopa

View full rent data for Maricopa, AZ

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Maricopa, AZ?

Median rent in Maricopa is $1,831 a month. A typical police officer in Arizona earns about $74,952 a year, which makes that rent 29.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Maricopa?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arizona (~$74,952/yr) supports up to $1,874 a month in rent. Maricopa's current median rent is $1,831/mo, which leaves a $43/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Arizona works roughly 50.8 hours a month to cover Maricopa's median rent of $1,831.

Where is rent cheaper than Maricopa for a police officer?

Nearby Arizona cities with lower median rent include Sahuarita ($1,827/mo), Sun City West ($1,826/mo), El Mirage ($1,822/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 Maricopa, AZ. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.