Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Plano, TX?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 26.9% of gross income.

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

Plano median rent
$1,713/mo
Police Officer salary (Texas)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
26.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Plano's median rent of $1,713 leaves roughly $199/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 46.6 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 Plano, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Channelview, TX
$1,712/mo (26.9% of income)
Cibolo, TX
$1,712/mo (26.9% of income)
Ennis, TX
$1,712/mo (26.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Plano

View full rent data for Plano, TX

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Plano, TX?

Median rent in Plano is $1,713 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 26.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Plano?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Plano's current median rent is $1,713/mo, which leaves a $199/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 46.6 hours a month to cover Plano's median rent of $1,713.

Where is rent cheaper than Plano for a police officer?

Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include Channelview ($1,712/mo), Cibolo ($1,712/mo), Ennis ($1,712/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 Plano, TX. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.