Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Saint Louis, MO?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.5% of gross income.
Saint Louis rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Missouri state estimate).
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 Missouri cities have lower median rent than Saint Louis, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Saint Louis
View full rent data for Saint Louis, MO →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Saint Louis, MO?
Median rent in Saint Louis is $1,395 a month. A typical police officer in Missouri earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 23.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Saint Louis?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Missouri (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Saint Louis's current median rent is $1,395/mo, which leaves a $382/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Saint Louis?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Missouri works roughly 40.8 hours a month to cover Saint Louis's median rent of $1,395.
Where is rent cheaper than Saint Louis for a police officer?
Nearby Missouri cities with lower median rent include Columbia ($1,394/mo), Hazelwood ($1,394/mo), Creve Coeur ($1,393/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.