Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bloomington, MN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.1% of gross income.

Bloomington rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Minnesota state estimate).

Bloomington median rent
$1,684/mo
Police Officer salary (Minnesota)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
25.1%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. Bloomington's median rent of $1,684 leaves roughly $325/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 43.6 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 Bloomington, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

White Bear Lake, MN
$1,683/mo (25.1% of income)
Shakopee, MN
$1,682/mo (25.1% of income)
Forest Lake, MN
$1,682/mo (25.1% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bloomington

View full rent data for Bloomington, MN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Bloomington, MN?

Median rent in Bloomington is $1,684 a month. A typical police officer in Minnesota earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 25.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Bloomington?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Minnesota (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Bloomington's current median rent is $1,684/mo, which leaves a $325/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Minnesota works roughly 43.6 hours a month to cover Bloomington's median rent of $1,684.

Where is rent cheaper than Bloomington for a police officer?

Nearby Minnesota cities with lower median rent include White Bear Lake ($1,683/mo), Shakopee ($1,682/mo), Forest Lake ($1,682/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 Bloomington, MN. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.