Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Lander, WY?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.9% of gross income.

Lander rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Wyoming state estimate).

Lander median rent
$1,325/mo
Police Officer salary (Wyoming)
$72,634/yr
Rent as % of income
21.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,053, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,816/mo in rent. Lander's median rent of $1,325 leaves roughly $491/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 37.9 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 Wyoming cities have lower median rent than Lander, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Casper, WY
$1,302/mo (21.5% of income)
Cody, WY
$1,269/mo (21% of income)
Gillette, WY
$1,249/mo (20.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Lander

View full rent data for Lander, WY

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Lander, WY?

Median rent in Lander is $1,325 a month. A typical police officer in Wyoming earns about $72,634 a year, which makes that rent 21.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Lander?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Wyoming (~$72,634/yr) supports up to $1,816 a month in rent. Lander's current median rent is $1,325/mo, which leaves a $491/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Wyoming works roughly 37.9 hours a month to cover Lander's median rent of $1,325.

Where is rent cheaper than Lander for a police officer?

Nearby Wyoming cities with lower median rent include Casper ($1,302/mo), Cody ($1,269/mo), Gillette ($1,249/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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