Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Saint Charles, IL?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 28.7% of gross income.

Saint Charles rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Illinois state estimate).

Saint Charles median rent
$1,884/mo
Police Officer salary (Illinois)
$78,815/yr
Rent as % of income
28.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,568, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,970/mo in rent. Saint Charles's median rent of $1,884 leaves roughly $86/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 49.7 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 Illinois cities have lower median rent than Saint Charles, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Lisle, IL
$1,881/mo (28.6% of income)
Glendale Heights, IL
$1,879/mo (28.6% of income)
Round Lake Beach, IL
$1,878/mo (28.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Saint Charles

View full rent data for Saint Charles, IL

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Saint Charles, IL?

Median rent in Saint Charles is $1,884 a month. A typical police officer in Illinois earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 28.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Saint Charles?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Illinois (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Saint Charles's current median rent is $1,884/mo, which leaves a $86/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Illinois works roughly 49.7 hours a month to cover Saint Charles's median rent of $1,884.

Where is rent cheaper than Saint Charles for a police officer?

Nearby Illinois cities with lower median rent include Lisle ($1,881/mo), Glendale Heights ($1,879/mo), Round Lake Beach ($1,878/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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