Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Knoxville, TN?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.3% of gross income.
Knoxville 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 Knoxville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Knoxville
View full rent data for Knoxville, TN →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Knoxville, TN?
Median rent in Knoxville is $1,735 a month. A typical police officer in Tennessee earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 29.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Knoxville?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Tennessee (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Knoxville's current median rent is $1,735/mo, which leaves a $42/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Knoxville?
At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Tennessee works roughly 50.8 hours a month to cover Knoxville's median rent of $1,735.
Where is rent cheaper than Knoxville for a police officer?
Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Goodlettsville ($1,733/mo), Alcoa ($1,732/mo), Lenoir City ($1,732/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.