Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Lafayette, IN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.6% of gross income.
Lafayette rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Indiana 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 Indiana cities have lower median rent than Lafayette, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Lafayette
View full rent data for Lafayette, IN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Lafayette, IN?
Median rent in Lafayette is $1,282 a month. A typical police officer in Indiana earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 21.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Lafayette?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Indiana (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Lafayette's current median rent is $1,282/mo, which leaves a $495/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Lafayette?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Indiana works roughly 37.5 hours a month to cover Lafayette's median rent of $1,282.
Where is rent cheaper than Lafayette for a police officer?
Nearby Indiana cities with lower median rent include Gary ($1,281/mo), Gary ($1,281/mo), South Bend ($1,279/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.