Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Iowa City, IA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.5% of gross income.
Iowa City rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Iowa 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 Iowa cities have lower median rent than Iowa City, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Iowa City
View full rent data for Iowa City, IA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Iowa City, IA?
Median rent in Iowa City is $1,271 a month. A typical police officer in Iowa earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 21.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Iowa City?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Iowa (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Iowa City's current median rent is $1,271/mo, which leaves a $506/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Iowa City?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Iowa works roughly 37.2 hours a month to cover Iowa City's median rent of $1,271.
Where is rent cheaper than Iowa City for a police officer?
Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Bettendorf ($1,266/mo), Bettendorf ($1,264/mo), Council Bluffs ($1,264/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.