Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in El Paso, TX?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.9% of gross income.
El Paso rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Texas 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 Texas cities have lower median rent than El Paso, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for El Paso
View full rent data for El Paso, TX →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in El Paso, TX?
Median rent in El Paso is $1,521 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 23.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in El Paso?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. El Paso's current median rent is $1,521/mo, which leaves a $391/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in El Paso?
At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 41.4 hours a month to cover El Paso's median rent of $1,521.
Where is rent cheaper than El Paso for a police officer?
Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include White Settlement ($1,520/mo), Baytown ($1,520/mo), Addison ($1,520/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.