Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Gulfport, MS?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 28.5% of gross income.

Gulfport rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Mississippi state estimate).

Gulfport median rent
$1,486/mo
Police Officer salary (Mississippi)
$62,589/yr
Rent as % of income
28.5%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,216, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,565/mo in rent. Gulfport's median rent of $1,486 leaves roughly $79/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 49.4 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 Mississippi cities have lower median rent than Gulfport, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Starkville, MS
$1,484/mo (28.5% of income)
Gulf Hills, MS
$1,482/mo (28.4% of income)
Gulf Hills, MS
$1,481/mo (28.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Gulfport

View full rent data for Gulfport, MS

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Gulfport, MS?

Median rent in Gulfport is $1,486 a month. A typical police officer in Mississippi earns about $62,589 a year, which makes that rent 28.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Gulfport?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Mississippi (~$62,589/yr) supports up to $1,565 a month in rent. Gulfport's current median rent is $1,486/mo, which leaves a $79/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, a police officer in Mississippi works roughly 49.4 hours a month to cover Gulfport's median rent of $1,486.

Where is rent cheaper than Gulfport for a police officer?

Nearby Mississippi cities with lower median rent include Starkville ($1,484/mo), Gulf Hills ($1,482/mo), Gulf Hills ($1,481/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Mississippi state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Gulfport, MS. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.