Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Omaha, NE?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.8% of gross income.

Omaha rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Nebraska state estimate).

Omaha median rent
$1,428/mo
Police Officer salary (Nebraska)
$71,861/yr
Rent as % of income
23.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,988, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,797/mo in rent. Omaha's median rent of $1,428 leaves roughly $369/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 41.3 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 Omaha, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

La Vista, NE
$1,411/mo (23.6% of income)
La Vista, NE
$1,407/mo (23.5% of income)
La Vista, NE
$1,400/mo (23.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Omaha

View full rent data for Omaha, NE

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Omaha, NE?

Median rent in Omaha is $1,428 a month. A typical police officer in Nebraska earns about $71,861 a year, which makes that rent 23.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Omaha?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Nebraska (~$71,861/yr) supports up to $1,797 a month in rent. Omaha's current median rent is $1,428/mo, which leaves a $369/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Nebraska works roughly 41.3 hours a month to cover Omaha's median rent of $1,428.

Where is rent cheaper than Omaha for a police officer?

Nearby Nebraska cities with lower median rent include La Vista ($1,411/mo), La Vista ($1,407/mo), La Vista ($1,400/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 Omaha, NE. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.