Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Boone, IA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 16% of gross income.

Boone rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Iowa state estimate).

Boone median rent
$947/mo
Police Officer salary (Iowa)
$71,088/yr
Rent as % of income
16%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,924, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,777/mo in rent. Boone's median rent of $947 leaves roughly $830/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 27.7 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 Boone, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Urbandale, IA
$944/mo (15.9% of income)
Marshalltown, IA
$941/mo (15.9% of income)
Davenport, IA
$941/mo (15.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Boone

View full rent data for Boone, IA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Boone, IA?

Median rent in Boone is $947 a month. A typical police officer in Iowa earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 16% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Boone?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Iowa (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Boone's current median rent is $947/mo, which leaves a $830/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Iowa works roughly 27.7 hours a month to cover Boone's median rent of $947.

Where is rent cheaper than Boone for a police officer?

Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Urbandale ($944/mo), Marshalltown ($941/mo), Davenport ($941/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 Boone, IA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.