Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Rawlins, WY?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.8% of gross income.

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

Rawlins median rent
$1,077/mo
Police Officer salary (Wyoming)
$72,634/yr
Rent as % of income
17.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,053, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,816/mo in rent. Rawlins's median rent of $1,077 leaves roughly $739/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.8 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 Wyoming cities have lower median rent than Rawlins, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Riverton, WY
$1,075/mo (17.8% of income)
Rock Springs, WY
$1,075/mo (17.8% of income)
Rock Springs, WY
$1,068/mo (17.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Rawlins

View full rent data for Rawlins, WY

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Rawlins, WY?

Median rent in Rawlins is $1,077 a month. A typical police officer in Wyoming earns about $72,634 a year, which makes that rent 17.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Rawlins?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Wyoming (~$72,634/yr) supports up to $1,816 a month in rent. Rawlins's current median rent is $1,077/mo, which leaves a $739/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $35 an hour, a police officer in Wyoming works roughly 30.8 hours a month to cover Rawlins's median rent of $1,077.

Where is rent cheaper than Rawlins for a police officer?

Nearby Wyoming cities with lower median rent include Riverton ($1,075/mo), Rock Springs ($1,075/mo), Rock Springs ($1,068/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 Rawlins, WY. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.