Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Merrillville, IN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.4% of gross income.
Merrillville 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 Merrillville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Merrillville
View full rent data for Merrillville, IN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Merrillville, IN?
Median rent in Merrillville is $1,562 a month. A typical police officer in Indiana earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 26.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Merrillville?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Indiana (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Merrillville's current median rent is $1,562/mo, which leaves a $215/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Merrillville?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Indiana works roughly 45.7 hours a month to cover Merrillville's median rent of $1,562.
Where is rent cheaper than Merrillville for a police officer?
Nearby Indiana cities with lower median rent include Highland ($1,560/mo), Franklin ($1,556/mo), Greenwood ($1,554/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.