Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Payson, UT?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.4% of gross income.

Payson rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Utah state estimate).

Payson median rent
$1,573/mo
Police Officer salary (Utah)
$74,179/yr
Rent as % of income
25.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,182, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,854/mo in rent. Payson's median rent of $1,573 leaves roughly $281/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 44.1 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 Utah cities have lower median rent than Payson, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Salt Lake City, UT
$1,570/mo (25.4% of income)
West Haven, UT
$1,569/mo (25.4% of income)
Sandy, UT
$1,568/mo (25.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Payson

View full rent data for Payson, UT

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Payson, UT?

Median rent in Payson is $1,573 a month. A typical police officer in Utah earns about $74,179 a year, which makes that rent 25.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Payson?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Utah (~$74,179/yr) supports up to $1,854 a month in rent. Payson's current median rent is $1,573/mo, which leaves a $281/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Utah works roughly 44.1 hours a month to cover Payson's median rent of $1,573.

Where is rent cheaper than Payson for a police officer?

Nearby Utah cities with lower median rent include Salt Lake City ($1,570/mo), West Haven ($1,569/mo), Sandy ($1,568/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Utah state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Payson, UT. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.