Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Crystal, MN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.1% of gross income.

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

Crystal median rent
$1,679/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. Crystal's median rent of $1,679 leaves roughly $330/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 43.5 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 Crystal, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Eden Prairie, MN
$1,678/mo (25.1% of income)
Brooklyn Park, MN
$1,678/mo (25.1% of income)
Eden Prairie, MN
$1,677/mo (25% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Crystal

View full rent data for Crystal, MN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Crystal, MN?

Median rent in Crystal is $1,679 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 Crystal?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Minnesota (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Crystal's current median rent is $1,679/mo, which leaves a $330/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Minnesota works roughly 43.5 hours a month to cover Crystal's median rent of $1,679.

Where is rent cheaper than Crystal for a police officer?

Nearby Minnesota cities with lower median rent include Eden Prairie ($1,678/mo), Brooklyn Park ($1,678/mo), Eden Prairie ($1,677/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 Crystal, MN. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.