Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Sioux City, IA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.5% of gross income.

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

Sioux City median rent
$1,216/mo
Police Officer salary (Iowa)
$71,088/yr
Rent as % of income
20.5%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,924, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,777/mo in rent. Sioux City's median rent of $1,216 leaves roughly $561/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 35.6 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 Sioux City, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Pleasant Hill, IA
$1,215/mo (20.5% of income)
Pleasant Hill, IA
$1,213/mo (20.5% of income)
Council Bluffs, IA
$1,212/mo (20.5% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Sioux City

View full rent data for Sioux City, IA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Sioux City, IA?

Median rent in Sioux City is $1,216 a month. A typical police officer in Iowa earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 20.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Sioux City?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Iowa (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Sioux City's current median rent is $1,216/mo, which leaves a $561/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Iowa works roughly 35.6 hours a month to cover Sioux City's median rent of $1,216.

Where is rent cheaper than Sioux City for a police officer?

Nearby Iowa cities with lower median rent include Pleasant Hill ($1,215/mo), Pleasant Hill ($1,213/mo), Council Bluffs ($1,212/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 Sioux City, IA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.