Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Kilgore, TX?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.9% of gross income.

Kilgore rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Texas state estimate).

Kilgore median rent
$1,271/mo
Police Officer salary (Texas)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
19.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Kilgore's median rent of $1,271 leaves roughly $641/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 34.6 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 Kilgore, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Port Arthur, TX
$1,270/mo (19.9% of income)
Wichita Falls, TX
$1,269/mo (19.9% of income)
Athens, TX
$1,269/mo (19.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Kilgore

View full rent data for Kilgore, TX

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Kilgore, TX?

Median rent in Kilgore is $1,271 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 19.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Kilgore?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Kilgore's current median rent is $1,271/mo, which leaves a $641/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 34.6 hours a month to cover Kilgore's median rent of $1,271.

Where is rent cheaper than Kilgore for a police officer?

Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include Port Arthur ($1,270/mo), Wichita Falls ($1,269/mo), Athens ($1,269/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 Kilgore, TX. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.