Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in La Grande, OR?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.3% of gross income.

La Grande rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Oregon state estimate).

La Grande median rent
$1,359/mo
Police Officer salary (Oregon)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
20.3%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. La Grande's median rent of $1,359 leaves roughly $650/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 35.2 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 Oregon cities have lower median rent than La Grande, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Tualatin, OR
$1,356/mo (20.2% of income)
Monmouth, OR
$1,355/mo (20.2% of income)
Monmouth, OR
$1,350/mo (20.2% of income)

Compare with full rent data for La Grande

View full rent data for La Grande, OR

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in La Grande, OR?

Median rent in La Grande is $1,359 a month. A typical police officer in Oregon earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 20.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in La Grande?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Oregon (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. La Grande's current median rent is $1,359/mo, which leaves a $650/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Oregon works roughly 35.2 hours a month to cover La Grande's median rent of $1,359.

Where is rent cheaper than La Grande for a police officer?

Nearby Oregon cities with lower median rent include Tualatin ($1,356/mo), Monmouth ($1,355/mo), Monmouth ($1,350/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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