Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Martin, TN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 15.7% of gross income.

Martin rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Tennessee state estimate).

Martin median rent
$930/mo
Police Officer salary (Tennessee)
$71,088/yr
Rent as % of income
15.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,924, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,777/mo in rent. Martin's median rent of $930 leaves roughly $847/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 27.2 hours a month to cover that rent.

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 Martin, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Johnson City, TN
$928/mo (15.7% of income)
Greeneville, TN
$925/mo (15.6% of income)
Memphis, TN
$904/mo (15.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Martin

View full rent data for Martin, TN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Martin, TN?

Median rent in Martin is $930 a month. A typical police officer in Tennessee earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 15.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Martin?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Tennessee (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Martin's current median rent is $930/mo, which leaves a $847/mo buffer.

How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Martin?

At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Tennessee works roughly 27.2 hours a month to cover Martin's median rent of $930.

Where is rent cheaper than Martin for a police officer?

Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Johnson City ($928/mo), Greeneville ($925/mo), Memphis ($904/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Tennessee state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Martin, TN. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.