Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Albert Lea, MN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 14.3% of gross income.
Albert Lea rent: April 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Minnesota 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 Minnesota cities have lower median rent than Albert Lea, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Albert Lea
View full rent data for Albert Lea, MN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Albert Lea, MN?
Median rent in Albert Lea is $960 a month. A typical police officer in Minnesota earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 14.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Albert Lea?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Minnesota (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Albert Lea's current median rent is $960/mo, which leaves a $1,049/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Albert Lea?
At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Minnesota works roughly 24.8 hours a month to cover Albert Lea's median rent of $960.
Where is rent cheaper than Albert Lea for a police officer?
Nearby Minnesota cities with lower median rent include Austin ($947/mo), Saint Cloud ($905/mo), Saint Cloud ($872/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.