Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Airway Heights, WA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.1% of gross income.

Airway Heights rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Washington state estimate).

Airway Heights median rent
$1,740/mo
Police Officer salary (Washington)
$86,542/yr
Rent as % of income
24.1%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,212, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,164/mo in rent. Airway Heights's median rent of $1,740 leaves roughly $424/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 41.8 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 Washington cities have lower median rent than Airway Heights, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Wenatchee, WA
$1,739/mo (24.1% of income)
Burien, WA
$1,739/mo (24.1% of income)
Fife, WA
$1,739/mo (24.1% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Airway Heights

View full rent data for Airway Heights, WA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Airway Heights, WA?

Median rent in Airway Heights is $1,740 a month. A typical police officer in Washington earns about $86,542 a year, which makes that rent 24.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Airway Heights?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Washington (~$86,542/yr) supports up to $2,164 a month in rent. Airway Heights's current median rent is $1,740/mo, which leaves a $424/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in Washington works roughly 41.8 hours a month to cover Airway Heights's median rent of $1,740.

Where is rent cheaper than Airway Heights for a police officer?

Nearby Washington cities with lower median rent include Wenatchee ($1,739/mo), Burien ($1,739/mo), Fife ($1,739/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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