Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Shelbyville, KY?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.6% of gross income.

Shelbyville rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kentucky state estimate).

Shelbyville median rent
$1,448/mo
Police Officer salary (Kentucky)
$67,998/yr
Rent as % of income
25.6%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,667, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,700/mo in rent. Shelbyville's median rent of $1,448 leaves roughly $252/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 44.3 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 Kentucky cities have lower median rent than Shelbyville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Southgate, KY
$1,447/mo (25.5% of income)
Shepherdsville, KY
$1,447/mo (25.5% of income)
Fort Wright, KY
$1,445/mo (25.5% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Shelbyville

View full rent data for Shelbyville, KY

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Shelbyville, KY?

Median rent in Shelbyville is $1,448 a month. A typical police officer in Kentucky earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 25.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Shelbyville?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Kentucky (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Shelbyville's current median rent is $1,448/mo, which leaves a $252/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Kentucky works roughly 44.3 hours a month to cover Shelbyville's median rent of $1,448.

Where is rent cheaper than Shelbyville for a police officer?

Nearby Kentucky cities with lower median rent include Southgate ($1,447/mo), Shepherdsville ($1,447/mo), Fort Wright ($1,445/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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