Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Kemah, TX?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23% of gross income.

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

Kemah median rent
$1,465/mo
Police Officer salary (Texas)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
23%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Kemah's median rent of $1,465 leaves roughly $447/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 39.8 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 Kemah, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

El Paso, TX
$1,464/mo (23% of income)
Mesquite, TX
$1,464/mo (23% of income)
Waller, TX
$1,463/mo (22.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Kemah

View full rent data for Kemah, TX

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Kemah, TX?

Median rent in Kemah is $1,465 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 23% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Kemah?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Kemah's current median rent is $1,465/mo, which leaves a $447/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 39.8 hours a month to cover Kemah's median rent of $1,465.

Where is rent cheaper than Kemah for a police officer?

Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include El Paso ($1,464/mo), Mesquite ($1,464/mo), Waller ($1,463/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 Kemah, TX. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.