Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Lawton, OK?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.5% of gross income.

Lawton rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Oklahoma state estimate).

Lawton median rent
$1,103/mo
Police Officer salary (Oklahoma)
$67,998/yr
Rent as % of income
19.5%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,667, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,700/mo in rent. Lawton's median rent of $1,103 leaves roughly $597/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 33.7 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 Oklahoma cities have lower median rent than Lawton, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Bethany, OK
$1,101/mo (19.4% of income)
Sapulpa, OK
$1,100/mo (19.4% of income)
Enid, OK
$1,099/mo (19.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Lawton

View full rent data for Lawton, OK

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Lawton, OK?

Median rent in Lawton is $1,103 a month. A typical police officer in Oklahoma earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 19.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Lawton?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Oklahoma (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Lawton's current median rent is $1,103/mo, which leaves a $597/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in Oklahoma works roughly 33.7 hours a month to cover Lawton's median rent of $1,103.

Where is rent cheaper than Lawton for a police officer?

Nearby Oklahoma cities with lower median rent include Bethany ($1,101/mo), Sapulpa ($1,100/mo), Enid ($1,099/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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