Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Alamosa, CO?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.7% of gross income.

Alamosa rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Colorado state estimate).

Alamosa median rent
$1,200/mo
Police Officer salary (Colorado)
$81,134/yr
Rent as % of income
17.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,761, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,028/mo in rent. Alamosa's median rent of $1,200 leaves roughly $828/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.8 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 Colorado cities have lower median rent than Alamosa, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Greeley, CO
$1,197/mo (17.7% of income)
Clifton, CO
$1,193/mo (17.6% of income)
Sterling, CO
$1,190/mo (17.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Alamosa

View full rent data for Alamosa, CO

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Alamosa, CO?

Median rent in Alamosa is $1,200 a month. A typical police officer in Colorado earns about $81,134 a year, which makes that rent 17.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Alamosa?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Colorado (~$81,134/yr) supports up to $2,028 a month in rent. Alamosa's current median rent is $1,200/mo, which leaves a $828/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Colorado works roughly 30.8 hours a month to cover Alamosa's median rent of $1,200.

Where is rent cheaper than Alamosa for a police officer?

Nearby Colorado cities with lower median rent include Greeley ($1,197/mo), Clifton ($1,193/mo), Sterling ($1,190/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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