Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Sun City, AZ?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.8% of gross income.

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

Sun City median rent
$1,737/mo
Police Officer salary (Arizona)
$74,952/yr
Rent as % of income
27.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,246, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,874/mo in rent. Sun City's median rent of $1,737 leaves roughly $137/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 48.2 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 Sun City, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Apache Junction, AZ
$1,736/mo (27.8% of income)
Cottonwood, AZ
$1,728/mo (27.7% of income)
Apache Junction, AZ
$1,727/mo (27.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Sun City

View full rent data for Sun City, AZ

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Sun City, AZ?

Median rent in Sun City is $1,737 a month. A typical police officer in Arizona earns about $74,952 a year, which makes that rent 27.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Sun City?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arizona (~$74,952/yr) supports up to $1,874 a month in rent. Sun City's current median rent is $1,737/mo, which leaves a $137/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Arizona works roughly 48.2 hours a month to cover Sun City's median rent of $1,737.

Where is rent cheaper than Sun City for a police officer?

Nearby Arizona cities with lower median rent include Apache Junction ($1,736/mo), Cottonwood ($1,728/mo), Apache Junction ($1,727/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 Sun City, AZ. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.