Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Beaver Dam, WI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.9% of gross income.

Beaver Dam rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Wisconsin state estimate).

Beaver Dam median rent
$1,276/mo
Police Officer salary (Wisconsin)
$73,407/yr
Rent as % of income
20.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,117, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,835/mo in rent. Beaver Dam's median rent of $1,276 leaves roughly $559/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 36.2 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 Wisconsin cities have lower median rent than Beaver Dam, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Stevens Point, WI
$1,275/mo (20.8% of income)
Chippewa Falls, WI
$1,274/mo (20.8% of income)
Wauwatosa, WI
$1,273/mo (20.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Beaver Dam

View full rent data for Beaver Dam, WI

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Beaver Dam, WI?

Median rent in Beaver Dam is $1,276 a month. A typical police officer in Wisconsin earns about $73,407 a year, which makes that rent 20.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Beaver Dam?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Wisconsin (~$73,407/yr) supports up to $1,835 a month in rent. Beaver Dam's current median rent is $1,276/mo, which leaves a $559/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Wisconsin works roughly 36.2 hours a month to cover Beaver Dam's median rent of $1,276.

Where is rent cheaper than Beaver Dam for a police officer?

Nearby Wisconsin cities with lower median rent include Stevens Point ($1,275/mo), Chippewa Falls ($1,274/mo), Wauwatosa ($1,273/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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