Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bettendorf, IA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.4% of gross income.

Bettendorf rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Iowa state estimate).

Bettendorf median rent
$1,386/mo
Police Officer salary (Iowa)
$71,088/yr
Rent as % of income
23.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,924, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,777/mo in rent. Bettendorf's median rent of $1,386 leaves roughly $391/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 40.6 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 Iowa cities have lower median rent than Bettendorf, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Grimes, IA
$1,384/mo (23.4% of income)
Grimes, IA
$1,382/mo (23.3% of income)
Indianola, IA
$1,382/mo (23.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bettendorf

View full rent data for Bettendorf, IA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Bettendorf, IA?

Median rent in Bettendorf is $1,386 a month. A typical police officer in Iowa earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 23.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Bettendorf?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Iowa (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Bettendorf's current median rent is $1,386/mo, which leaves a $391/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Iowa works roughly 40.6 hours a month to cover Bettendorf's median rent of $1,386.

Where is rent cheaper than Bettendorf for a police officer?

Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Grimes ($1,384/mo), Grimes ($1,382/mo), Indianola ($1,382/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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