Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Sun Prairie, WI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.1% of gross income.

Sun Prairie rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Wisconsin state estimate).

Sun Prairie median rent
$1,659/mo
Police Officer salary (Wisconsin)
$73,407/yr
Rent as % of income
27.1%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,117, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,835/mo in rent. Sun Prairie's median rent of $1,659 leaves roughly $176/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 47 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 Sun Prairie, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Saint Francis, WI
$1,657/mo (27.1% of income)
Saukville, WI
$1,657/mo (27.1% of income)
Madison, WI
$1,656/mo (27.1% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Sun Prairie

View full rent data for Sun Prairie, WI

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Sun Prairie, WI?

Median rent in Sun Prairie is $1,659 a month. A typical police officer in Wisconsin earns about $73,407 a year, which makes that rent 27.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Sun Prairie?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Wisconsin (~$73,407/yr) supports up to $1,835 a month in rent. Sun Prairie's current median rent is $1,659/mo, which leaves a $176/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Wisconsin works roughly 47 hours a month to cover Sun Prairie's median rent of $1,659.

Where is rent cheaper than Sun Prairie for a police officer?

Nearby Wisconsin cities with lower median rent include Saint Francis ($1,657/mo), Saukville ($1,657/mo), Madison ($1,656/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 Sun Prairie, WI. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.