Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Albert Lea, MN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 15.6% of gross income.

Albert Lea rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Minnesota state estimate).

Albert Lea median rent
$1,046/mo
Police Officer salary (Minnesota)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
15.6%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. Albert Lea's median rent of $1,046 leaves roughly $963/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 27.1 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 Minnesota cities have lower median rent than Albert Lea, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Austin, MN
$1,041/mo (15.5% of income)
Austin, MN
$992/mo (14.8% of income)
Waseca, MN
$990/mo (14.8% of income)

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 $1,046 a month. A typical police officer in Minnesota earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 15.6% 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 $1,046/mo, which leaves a $963/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 27.1 hours a month to cover Albert Lea's median rent of $1,046.

Where is rent cheaper than Albert Lea for a police officer?

Nearby Minnesota cities with lower median rent include Austin ($1,041/mo), Austin ($992/mo), Waseca ($990/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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