Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Chattanooga, TN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.7% of gross income.
Chattanooga rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Tennessee 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 Tennessee cities have lower median rent than Chattanooga, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Chattanooga
View full rent data for Chattanooga, TN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Chattanooga, TN?
Median rent in Chattanooga is $1,522 a month. A typical police officer in Tennessee earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 25.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Chattanooga?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Tennessee (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Chattanooga's current median rent is $1,522/mo, which leaves a $255/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Chattanooga?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Tennessee works roughly 44.5 hours a month to cover Chattanooga's median rent of $1,522.
Where is rent cheaper than Chattanooga for a police officer?
Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Bartlett ($1,519/mo), Hixson ($1,518/mo), Jonesborough ($1,516/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.