Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Kearney, NE?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.2% of gross income.
Kearney rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Nebraska 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 Nebraska cities have lower median rent than Kearney, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Kearney
View full rent data for Kearney, NE →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Kearney, NE?
Median rent in Kearney is $1,451 a month. A typical police officer in Nebraska earns about $71,861 a year, which makes that rent 24.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Kearney?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Nebraska (~$71,861/yr) supports up to $1,797 a month in rent. Kearney's current median rent is $1,451/mo, which leaves a $346/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Kearney?
At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Nebraska works roughly 42 hours a month to cover Kearney's median rent of $1,451.
Where is rent cheaper than Kearney for a police officer?
Nearby Nebraska cities with lower median rent include Columbus ($1,447/mo), Omaha ($1,446/mo), La Vista ($1,442/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.