Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Mesa, AZ?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.5% of gross income.
Mesa rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arizona state estimate).
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 Mesa, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Mesa
View full rent data for Mesa, AZ →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Mesa, AZ?
Median rent in Mesa is $1,532 a month. A typical police officer in Arizona earns about $74,952 a year, which makes that rent 24.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Mesa?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arizona (~$74,952/yr) supports up to $1,874 a month in rent. Mesa's current median rent is $1,532/mo, which leaves a $342/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Mesa?
At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Arizona works roughly 42.5 hours a month to cover Mesa's median rent of $1,532.
Where is rent cheaper than Mesa for a police officer?
Nearby Arizona cities with lower median rent include Scottsdale ($1,530/mo), Youngtown ($1,524/mo), Glendale ($1,522/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.