Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Macon, GA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.3% of gross income.

Macon rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Georgia state estimate).

Macon median rent
$1,244/mo
Police Officer salary (Georgia)
$73,407/yr
Rent as % of income
20.3%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,117, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,835/mo in rent. Macon's median rent of $1,244 leaves roughly $591/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 35.2 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 Georgia cities have lower median rent than Macon, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Forest Park, GA
$1,243/mo (20.3% of income)
Savannah, GA
$1,242/mo (20.3% of income)
Smyrna, GA
$1,242/mo (20.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Macon

View full rent data for Macon, GA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Macon, GA?

Median rent in Macon is $1,244 a month. A typical police officer in Georgia earns about $73,407 a year, which makes that rent 20.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Macon?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Georgia (~$73,407/yr) supports up to $1,835 a month in rent. Macon's current median rent is $1,244/mo, which leaves a $591/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Georgia works roughly 35.2 hours a month to cover Macon's median rent of $1,244.

Where is rent cheaper than Macon for a police officer?

Nearby Georgia cities with lower median rent include Forest Park ($1,243/mo), Savannah ($1,242/mo), Smyrna ($1,242/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 Macon, GA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.