Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Lafayette, GA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22% of gross income.

Lafayette rent: March 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Georgia state estimate).

Lafayette median rent
$1,343/mo
Police Officer salary (Georgia)
$73,407/yr
Rent as % of income
22%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,117, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,835/mo in rent. Lafayette's median rent of $1,343 leaves roughly $492/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 38.1 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 Georgia cities have lower median rent than Lafayette, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Augusta, GA
$1,342/mo (21.9% of income)
Valdosta, GA
$1,342/mo (21.9% of income)
Kennesaw, GA
$1,341/mo (21.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Lafayette

View full rent data for Lafayette, GA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Lafayette, GA?

Median rent in Lafayette is $1,343 a month. A typical police officer in Georgia earns about $73,407 a year, which makes that rent 22% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Lafayette?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Georgia (~$73,407/yr) supports up to $1,835 a month in rent. Lafayette's current median rent is $1,343/mo, which leaves a $492/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Georgia works roughly 38.1 hours a month to cover Lafayette's median rent of $1,343.

Where is rent cheaper than Lafayette for a police officer?

Nearby Georgia cities with lower median rent include Augusta ($1,342/mo), Valdosta ($1,342/mo), Kennesaw ($1,341/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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