Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Northfield, MN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.5% of gross income.

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

Northfield median rent
$1,640/mo
Police Officer salary (Minnesota)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
24.5%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. Northfield's median rent of $1,640 leaves roughly $369/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 42.4 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 Northfield, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

White Bear Lake, MN
$1,639/mo (24.5% of income)
Oakdale, MN
$1,639/mo (24.5% of income)
White Bear Lake, MN
$1,639/mo (24.5% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Northfield

View full rent data for Northfield, MN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Northfield, MN?

Median rent in Northfield is $1,640 a month. A typical police officer in Minnesota earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 24.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Northfield?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Minnesota (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Northfield's current median rent is $1,640/mo, which leaves a $369/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Minnesota works roughly 42.4 hours a month to cover Northfield's median rent of $1,640.

Where is rent cheaper than Northfield for a police officer?

Nearby Minnesota cities with lower median rent include White Bear Lake ($1,639/mo), Oakdale ($1,639/mo), White Bear Lake ($1,639/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 Northfield, MN. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.