Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Jackson, MS?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.3% of gross income.

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

Jackson median rent
$1,270/mo
Police Officer salary (Mississippi)
$62,589/yr
Rent as % of income
24.3%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,216, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,565/mo in rent. Jackson's median rent of $1,270 leaves roughly $295/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 42.2 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 Mississippi cities have lower median rent than Jackson, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Tupelo, MS
$1,264/mo (24.2% of income)
Tupelo, MS
$1,251/mo (24% of income)
Moss Point, MS
$1,250/mo (24% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Jackson

View full rent data for Jackson, MS

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Jackson, MS?

Median rent in Jackson is $1,270 a month. A typical police officer in Mississippi earns about $62,589 a year, which makes that rent 24.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Jackson?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Mississippi (~$62,589/yr) supports up to $1,565 a month in rent. Jackson's current median rent is $1,270/mo, which leaves a $295/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $30 an hour, a police officer in Mississippi works roughly 42.2 hours a month to cover Jackson's median rent of $1,270.

Where is rent cheaper than Jackson for a police officer?

Nearby Mississippi cities with lower median rent include Tupelo ($1,264/mo), Tupelo ($1,251/mo), Moss Point ($1,250/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 Jackson, MS. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.