Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Park Forest, IL?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.5% of gross income.
Park Forest rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Illinois 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 Illinois cities have lower median rent than Park Forest, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Park Forest
View full rent data for Park Forest, IL →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Park Forest, IL?
Median rent in Park Forest is $1,806 a month. A typical police officer in Illinois earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 27.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Park Forest?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Illinois (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Park Forest's current median rent is $1,806/mo, which leaves a $164/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Park Forest?
At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Illinois works roughly 47.7 hours a month to cover Park Forest's median rent of $1,806.
Where is rent cheaper than Park Forest for a police officer?
Nearby Illinois cities with lower median rent include Westmont ($1,805/mo), Gurnee ($1,803/mo), Round Lake Beach ($1,800/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.