Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Salina, KS?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.7% of gross income.

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

Salina median rent
$1,026/mo
Police Officer salary (Kansas)
$69,543/yr
Rent as % of income
17.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,795, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,739/mo in rent. Salina's median rent of $1,026 leaves roughly $713/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.7 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 Salina, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Lawrence, KS
$981/mo (16.9% of income)
Kansas City, KS
$980/mo (16.9% of income)
Pittsburg, KS
$962/mo (16.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Salina

View full rent data for Salina, KS

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Salina, KS?

Median rent in Salina is $1,026 a month. A typical police officer in Kansas earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 17.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Salina?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Kansas (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Salina's current median rent is $1,026/mo, which leaves a $713/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Kansas works roughly 30.7 hours a month to cover Salina's median rent of $1,026.

Where is rent cheaper than Salina for a police officer?

Nearby Kansas cities with lower median rent include Lawrence ($981/mo), Kansas City ($980/mo), Pittsburg ($962/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 Salina, KS. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.