Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Owatonna, MN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.4% of gross income.

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

Owatonna median rent
$1,168/mo
Police Officer salary (Minnesota)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
17.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. Owatonna's median rent of $1,168 leaves roughly $841/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.2 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 Owatonna, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Saint Cloud, MN
$1,164/mo (17.4% of income)
Winona, MN
$1,163/mo (17.4% of income)
Winona, MN
$1,160/mo (17.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Owatonna

View full rent data for Owatonna, MN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Owatonna, MN?

Median rent in Owatonna is $1,168 a month. A typical police officer in Minnesota earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 17.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Owatonna?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Minnesota (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Owatonna's current median rent is $1,168/mo, which leaves a $841/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Minnesota works roughly 30.2 hours a month to cover Owatonna's median rent of $1,168.

Where is rent cheaper than Owatonna for a police officer?

Nearby Minnesota cities with lower median rent include Saint Cloud ($1,164/mo), Winona ($1,163/mo), Winona ($1,160/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 Owatonna, MN. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.