Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Columbus, MS?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.3% of gross income.
Columbus rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Mississippi 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 Mississippi cities have lower median rent than Columbus, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Columbus
View full rent data for Columbus, MS →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Columbus, MS?
Median rent in Columbus is $1,371 a month. A typical police officer in Mississippi earns about $62,589 a year, which makes that rent 26.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Columbus?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Mississippi (~$62,589/yr) supports up to $1,565 a month in rent. Columbus's current median rent is $1,371/mo, which leaves a $194/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Columbus?
At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, a police officer in Mississippi works roughly 45.6 hours a month to cover Columbus's median rent of $1,371.
Where is rent cheaper than Columbus for a police officer?
Nearby Mississippi cities with lower median rent include Long Beach ($1,369/mo), Starkville ($1,369/mo), Tupelo ($1,366/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.