Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Springfield, TN?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.2% of gross income.

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

Springfield median rent
$1,554/mo
Police Officer salary (Tennessee)
$71,088/yr
Rent as % of income
26.2%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,924, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,777/mo in rent. Springfield's median rent of $1,554 leaves roughly $223/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 45.5 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 Springfield, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Millington, TN
$1,552/mo (26.2% of income)
Cookeville, TN
$1,546/mo (26.1% of income)
Millington, TN
$1,545/mo (26.1% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Springfield

View full rent data for Springfield, TN

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Springfield, TN?

Median rent in Springfield is $1,554 a month. A typical police officer in Tennessee earns about $71,088 a year, which makes that rent 26.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Springfield?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Tennessee (~$71,088/yr) supports up to $1,777 a month in rent. Springfield's current median rent is $1,554/mo, which leaves a $223/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $34 an hour, a police officer in Tennessee works roughly 45.5 hours a month to cover Springfield's median rent of $1,554.

Where is rent cheaper than Springfield for a police officer?

Nearby Tennessee cities with lower median rent include Millington ($1,552/mo), Cookeville ($1,546/mo), Millington ($1,545/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 Springfield, TN. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.