Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Miles City, MT?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 14.3% of gross income.

Miles City rent: April 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Montana state estimate).

Miles City median rent
$813/mo
Police Officer salary (Montana)
$67,998/yr
Rent as % of income
14.3%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,667, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,700/mo in rent. Miles City's median rent of $813 leaves roughly $887/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 24.9 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.

Compare with full rent data for Miles City

View full rent data for Miles City, MT

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Miles City, MT?

Median rent in Miles City is $813 a month. A typical police officer in Montana earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 14.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Miles City?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Montana (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Miles City's current median rent is $813/mo, which leaves a $887/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Montana works roughly 24.9 hours a month to cover Miles City's median rent of $813.

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