Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Stafford, TX?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.8% of gross income.

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

Stafford median rent
$1,578/mo
Police Officer salary (Texas)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
24.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Stafford's median rent of $1,578 leaves roughly $334/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 42.9 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 Stafford, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Austin, TX
$1,577/mo (24.7% of income)
Brownsville, TX
$1,577/mo (24.7% of income)
Lake Jackson, TX
$1,577/mo (24.7% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Stafford

View full rent data for Stafford, TX

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Stafford, TX?

Median rent in Stafford is $1,578 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 24.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Stafford?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Stafford's current median rent is $1,578/mo, which leaves a $334/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 42.9 hours a month to cover Stafford's median rent of $1,578.

Where is rent cheaper than Stafford for a police officer?

Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include Austin ($1,577/mo), Brownsville ($1,577/mo), Lake Jackson ($1,577/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 Stafford, TX. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.