Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Cookeville, TN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.4% of gross income.
Cookeville rent: June 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 Cookeville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Cookeville
View full rent data for Cookeville, TN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Cookeville, TN?
Median rent in Cookeville is $1,564 a month. A typical police officer in Tennessee earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 26.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Cookeville?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Tennessee (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Cookeville's current median rent is $1,564/mo, which leaves a $213/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Cookeville?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Tennessee works roughly 45.8 hours a month to cover Cookeville's median rent of $1,564.
Where is rent cheaper than Cookeville for a police officer?
Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Hendersonville ($1,563/mo), Hendersonville ($1,562/mo), Hendersonville ($1,562/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.