Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Topeka, KS?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.1% of gross income.
Topeka rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kansas 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 Kansas cities have lower median rent than Topeka, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Topeka
View full rent data for Topeka, KS →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Topeka, KS?
Median rent in Topeka is $1,283 a month. A typical police officer in Kansas earns about $69,543 a year, which makes that rent 22.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Topeka?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Kansas (~$69,543/yr) supports up to $1,739 a month in rent. Topeka's current median rent is $1,283/mo, which leaves a $456/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Topeka?
At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Kansas works roughly 38.4 hours a month to cover Topeka's median rent of $1,283.
Where is rent cheaper than Topeka for a police officer?
Nearby Kansas cities with lower median rent include Kansas City ($1,274/mo), Leavenworth ($1,273/mo), Overland Park ($1,269/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.