Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Hammond, IN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25% of gross income.

Hammond rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Indiana state estimate).

Hammond median rent
$1,479/mo
Police Officer salary (Indiana)
$71,088/yr
Rent as % of income
25%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,924, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,777/mo in rent. Hammond's median rent of $1,479 leaves roughly $298/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 43.3 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 Indiana cities have lower median rent than Hammond, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Portage, IN
$1,478/mo (24.9% of income)
Bloomington, IN
$1,477/mo (24.9% of income)
Bloomington, IN
$1,476/mo (24.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Hammond

View full rent data for Hammond, IN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Hammond, IN?

Median rent in Hammond is $1,479 a month. A typical police officer in Indiana earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 25% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Hammond?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Indiana (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Hammond's current median rent is $1,479/mo, which leaves a $298/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Indiana works roughly 43.3 hours a month to cover Hammond's median rent of $1,479.

Where is rent cheaper than Hammond for a police officer?

Nearby Indiana cities with lower median rent include Portage ($1,478/mo), Bloomington ($1,477/mo), Bloomington ($1,476/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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