Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Vernal, UT?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.8% of gross income.
Vernal rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Utah 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 Utah cities have lower median rent than Vernal, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Vernal
View full rent data for Vernal, UT →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Vernal, UT?
Median rent in Vernal is $1,473 a month. A typical police officer in Utah earns about $74,179 a year, which makes that rent 23.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Vernal?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Utah (~$74,179/yr) supports up to $1,854 a month in rent. Vernal's current median rent is $1,473/mo, which leaves a $381/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Vernal?
At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Utah works roughly 41.3 hours a month to cover Vernal's median rent of $1,473.
Where is rent cheaper than Vernal for a police officer?
Nearby Utah cities with lower median rent include Cedar City ($1,472/mo), Orem ($1,472/mo), Cedar City ($1,471/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.