Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Great Bend, KS?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 14% of gross income.

Great Bend rent: May 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kansas state estimate).

Great Bend median rent
$812/mo
Police Officer salary (Kansas)
$69,543/yr
Rent as % of income
14%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,795, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,739/mo in rent. Great Bend's median rent of $812 leaves roughly $927/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 24.3 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 Kansas cities have lower median rent than Great Bend, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Hutchinson, KS
$810/mo (14% of income)
Emporia, KS
$808/mo (13.9% of income)
Hutchinson, KS
$808/mo (13.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Great Bend

View full rent data for Great Bend, KS

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Great Bend, KS?

Median rent in Great Bend is $812 a month. A typical police officer in Kansas earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 14% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Great Bend?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Kansas (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Great Bend's current median rent is $812/mo, which leaves a $927/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Kansas works roughly 24.3 hours a month to cover Great Bend's median rent of $812.

Where is rent cheaper than Great Bend for a police officer?

Nearby Kansas cities with lower median rent include Hutchinson ($810/mo), Emporia ($808/mo), Hutchinson ($808/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 Great Bend, KS. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.