Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Grand Island, NE?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.3% of gross income.

Grand Island rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Nebraska state estimate).

Grand Island median rent
$1,337/mo
Police Officer salary (Nebraska)
$71,861/yr
Rent as % of income
22.3%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,988, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,797/mo in rent. Grand Island's median rent of $1,337 leaves roughly $460/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 38.7 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 Nebraska cities have lower median rent than Grand Island, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Bennington, NE
$1,333/mo (22.3% of income)
Bennington, NE
$1,333/mo (22.3% of income)
Lexington, NE
$1,332/mo (22.2% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Grand Island

View full rent data for Grand Island, NE

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Grand Island, NE?

Median rent in Grand Island is $1,337 a month. A typical police officer in Nebraska earns about $71,861 a year, which makes that rent 22.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Grand Island?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Nebraska (~$71,861/yr) supports up to $1,797 a month in rent. Grand Island's current median rent is $1,337/mo, which leaves a $460/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Nebraska works roughly 38.7 hours a month to cover Grand Island's median rent of $1,337.

Where is rent cheaper than Grand Island for a police officer?

Nearby Nebraska cities with lower median rent include Bennington ($1,333/mo), Bennington ($1,333/mo), Lexington ($1,332/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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