Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Brookings, SD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.4% of gross income.
Brookings rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (South Dakota 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 South Dakota cities have lower median rent than Brookings, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Brookings
View full rent data for Brookings, SD →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Brookings, SD?
Median rent in Brookings is $1,100 a month. A typical police officer in South Dakota earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 19.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Brookings?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in South Dakota (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Brookings's current median rent is $1,100/mo, which leaves a $600/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Brookings?
At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in South Dakota works roughly 33.6 hours a month to cover Brookings's median rent of $1,100.
Where is rent cheaper than Brookings for a police officer?
Nearby South Dakota cities with lower median rent include Aberdeen ($1,049/mo), Vermillion ($1,045/mo), Brandon ($1,035/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.