Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Denton, TX?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.2% of gross income.

Denton rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Texas state estimate).

Denton median rent
$1,480/mo
Police Officer salary (Texas)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
23.2%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Denton's median rent of $1,480 leaves roughly $432/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 40.2 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 Texas cities have lower median rent than Denton, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

El Paso, TX
$1,479/mo (23.2% of income)
Brenham, TX
$1,479/mo (23.2% of income)
Arlington, TX
$1,479/mo (23.2% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Denton

View full rent data for Denton, TX

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Denton, TX?

Median rent in Denton is $1,480 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 23.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Denton?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Denton's current median rent is $1,480/mo, which leaves a $432/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 40.2 hours a month to cover Denton's median rent of $1,480.

Where is rent cheaper than Denton for a police officer?

Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include El Paso ($1,479/mo), Brenham ($1,479/mo), Arlington ($1,479/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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