Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Elizabethton, TN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 18% of gross income.
Elizabethton 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 Elizabethton, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Elizabethton
View full rent data for Elizabethton, TN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Elizabethton, TN?
Median rent in Elizabethton is $1,067 a month. A typical police officer in Tennessee earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 18% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Elizabethton?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Tennessee (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Elizabethton's current median rent is $1,067/mo, which leaves a $710/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Elizabethton?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Tennessee works roughly 31.2 hours a month to cover Elizabethton's median rent of $1,067.
Where is rent cheaper than Elizabethton for a police officer?
Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Athens ($1,063/mo), Athens ($1,056/mo), Martin ($1,050/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.