Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Tea, SD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.6% of gross income.
Tea rent: September 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 Tea, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Tea
View full rent data for Tea, SD →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Tea, SD?
Median rent in Tea is $1,165 a month. A typical police officer in South Dakota earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 20.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Tea?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in South Dakota (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Tea's current median rent is $1,165/mo, which leaves a $535/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Tea?
At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in South Dakota works roughly 35.6 hours a month to cover Tea's median rent of $1,165.
Where is rent cheaper than Tea for a police officer?
Nearby South Dakota cities with lower median rent include Brookings ($1,163/mo), Brookings ($1,143/mo), Aberdeen ($1,098/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.