Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Grafton, WI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.1% of gross income.

Grafton rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Wisconsin state estimate).

Grafton median rent
$1,783/mo
Police Officer salary (Wisconsin)
$73,407/yr
Rent as % of income
29.1%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,117, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,835/mo in rent. Grafton's median rent of $1,783 leaves roughly $52/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 50.5 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 Grafton, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Oak Creek, WI
$1,782/mo (29.1% of income)
Fitchburg, WI
$1,780/mo (29.1% of income)
Oak Creek, WI
$1,779/mo (29.1% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Grafton

View full rent data for Grafton, WI

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Grafton, WI?

Median rent in Grafton is $1,783 a month. A typical police officer in Wisconsin earns about $73,407 a year, which makes that rent 29.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Grafton?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Wisconsin (~$73,407/yr) supports up to $1,835 a month in rent. Grafton's current median rent is $1,783/mo, which leaves a $52/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Wisconsin works roughly 50.5 hours a month to cover Grafton's median rent of $1,783.

Where is rent cheaper than Grafton for a police officer?

Nearby Wisconsin cities with lower median rent include Oak Creek ($1,782/mo), Fitchburg ($1,780/mo), Oak Creek ($1,779/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 Grafton, WI. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.