Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Universal City, TX?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.5% of gross income.

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

Universal City median rent
$1,115/mo
Police Officer salary (Texas)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
17.5%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Universal City's median rent of $1,115 leaves roughly $797/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.3 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 Universal City, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Pharr, TX
$1,114/mo (17.5% of income)
Orange, TX
$1,109/mo (17.4% of income)
Boerne, TX
$1,108/mo (17.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Universal City

View full rent data for Universal City, TX

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Universal City, TX?

Median rent in Universal City is $1,115 a month. A typical police officer in Texas earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 17.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Universal City?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Texas (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Universal City's current median rent is $1,115/mo, which leaves a $797/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Texas works roughly 30.3 hours a month to cover Universal City's median rent of $1,115.

Where is rent cheaper than Universal City for a police officer?

Nearby Texas cities with lower median rent include Pharr ($1,114/mo), Orange ($1,109/mo), Boerne ($1,108/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 Universal City, TX. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.