Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bartow, FL?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.9% of gross income.
Bartow rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Florida 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 Florida cities have lower median rent than Bartow, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Bartow
View full rent data for Bartow, FL →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Bartow, FL?
Median rent in Bartow is $1,790 a month. A typical police officer in Florida earns about $71,861 a year, which makes that rent 29.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Bartow?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Florida (~$71,861/yr) supports up to $1,797 a month in rent. Bartow's current median rent is $1,790/mo, which leaves a $7/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Bartow?
At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Florida works roughly 51.8 hours a month to cover Bartow's median rent of $1,790.
Where is rent cheaper than Bartow for a police officer?
Nearby Florida cities with lower median rent include Fort Myers ($1,789/mo), Crestview ($1,789/mo), Pace ($1,789/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.