Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Shawnee, KS?

Stretched but workable — rent takes 31% of gross income.

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

Shawnee median rent
$1,796/mo
Police Officer salary (Kansas)
$69,543/yr
Rent as % of income
31%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,795, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,739/mo in rent. Shawnee's median rent of $1,796 exceeds that threshold by $57/mo, putting a police officer salary into the rent-burdened range here. A police officer works roughly 53.7 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 Shawnee, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Leawood, KS
$1,795/mo (31% of income)
Olathe, KS
$1,792/mo (30.9% of income)
Leawood, KS
$1,790/mo (30.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Shawnee

View full rent data for Shawnee, KS

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Shawnee, KS?

Median rent in Shawnee is $1,796 a month. A typical police officer in Kansas earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 31% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Shawnee?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Kansas (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Shawnee's current median rent is $1,796/mo, which is $57/mo over the affordability threshold.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Kansas works roughly 53.7 hours a month to cover Shawnee's median rent of $1,796.

Where is rent cheaper than Shawnee for a police officer?

Nearby Kansas cities with lower median rent include Leawood ($1,795/mo), Olathe ($1,792/mo), Leawood ($1,790/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 Shawnee, KS. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.