Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Butte, MT?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.9% of gross income.
Butte rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Montana 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 Montana cities have lower median rent than Butte, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Butte
View full rent data for Butte, MT →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Butte, MT?
Median rent in Butte is $1,410 a month. A typical police officer in Montana earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 24.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Butte?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Montana (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Butte's current median rent is $1,410/mo, which leaves a $290/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Butte?
At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Montana works roughly 43.1 hours a month to cover Butte's median rent of $1,410.
Where is rent cheaper than Butte for a police officer?
Nearby Montana cities with lower median rent include Livingston ($1,406/mo), Billings ($1,404/mo), Great Falls ($1,396/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.