Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Cortez, CO?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.8% of gross income.
Cortez rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Colorado 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 Colorado cities have lower median rent than Cortez, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Cortez
View full rent data for Cortez, CO →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Cortez, CO?
Median rent in Cortez is $1,746 a month. A typical police officer in Colorado earns about $81,134 a year, which makes that rent 25.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Cortez?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Colorado (~$81,134/yr) supports up to $2,028 a month in rent. Cortez's current median rent is $1,746/mo, which leaves a $282/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Cortez?
At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Colorado works roughly 44.8 hours a month to cover Cortez's median rent of $1,746.
Where is rent cheaper than Cortez for a police officer?
Nearby Colorado cities with lower median rent include Aurora ($1,745/mo), Lakewood ($1,745/mo), Lakewood ($1,744/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.