Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Gardner, KS?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.1% of gross income.

Gardner rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kansas state estimate).

Gardner median rent
$1,569/mo
Police Officer salary (Kansas)
$69,543/yr
Rent as % of income
27.1%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,795, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,739/mo in rent. Gardner's median rent of $1,569 leaves roughly $170/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 46.9 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 Kansas cities have lower median rent than Gardner, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Lenexa, KS
$1,566/mo (27% of income)
Lenexa, KS
$1,559/mo (26.9% of income)
Lenexa, KS
$1,557/mo (26.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Gardner

View full rent data for Gardner, KS

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Gardner, KS?

Median rent in Gardner is $1,569 a month. A typical police officer in Kansas earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 27.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Gardner?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Kansas (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Gardner's current median rent is $1,569/mo, which leaves a $170/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Kansas works roughly 46.9 hours a month to cover Gardner's median rent of $1,569.

Where is rent cheaper than Gardner for a police officer?

Nearby Kansas cities with lower median rent include Lenexa ($1,566/mo), Lenexa ($1,559/mo), Lenexa ($1,557/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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