Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Temple, TX?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.7% of gross income.
Temple rent: September 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 Temple, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Temple
View full rent data for Temple, TX →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Temple, TX?
Median rent in Temple is $1,383 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 21.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Temple?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Temple's current median rent is $1,383/mo, which leaves a $529/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Temple?
At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 37.6 hours a month to cover Temple's median rent of $1,383.
Where is rent cheaper than Temple for a police officer?
Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include Pasadena ($1,382/mo), Texarkana ($1,382/mo), Jersey Village ($1,382/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.