Where police officers keep the most after rent
20 large metros ranked by how much of a median police officer's take-home pay goes to a one-bedroom at HUD Fair Market Rent. BLS occupation code 33-3051; national median $76,210.
Detroit comes out on top. Median pay of $78,450 against a $1,167 one-bedroom leaves $4,168 a month after rent. At the bottom is Boston, where rent takes 47% of take-home pay. The highest-paying metro, San Francisco ($132,000), ranks 9 of 20 once rent is counted.
1-bedroom rent as a share of take-home pay
Full table
| # | Metro | Median pay | vs. U.S. | 1BR rent | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left / mo | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | $78,450 | +3% | $1,167 | 30.9 h | 22% | $4,168 | 7,860 |
| 2 | Minneapolis–St. Paul | $97,190 | +28% | $1,427 | 30.5 h | 22% | $5,007 | 5,570 |
| 3 | Houston | $74,570 | −2% | $1,261 | 35.2 h | 25% | $3,846 | 16,250 |
| 4 | Dallas–Fort Worth | $92,910 | +22% | $1,536 | 34.4 h | 25% | $4,647 | 16,430 |
| 5 | Chicago | $107,810 | +41% | $1,780 | 34.3 h | 25% | $5,276 | 22,680 |
| 6 | Riverside–San Bernardino | $101,870 | +34% | $1,705 | 34.8 h | 25% | $5,003 | 6,010 |
| 7 | Philadelphia | $89,580 | +18% | $1,558 | 36.2 h | 26% | $4,429 | 13,160 |
| 8 | Phoenix | $85,050 | +12% | $1,493 | 36.5 h | 26% | $4,229 | 7,860 |
| 9 | San Francisco | $132,000 | +73% | $2,290 | 36.1 h | 27% | $6,167 | 7,990 |
| 10 | Denver | $101,970 | +34% | $1,831 | 37.4 h | 27% | $4,883 | 4,990 |
| 11 | Seattle | $115,120 | +51% | $2,180 | 39.4 h | 29% | $5,305 | 4,520 |
| 12 | Los Angeles | $121,980 | +60% | $2,402 | 41.0 h | 30% | $5,485 | 24,720 |
| 13 | Baltimore | $76,530 | +0% | $1,625 | 44.2 h | 31% | $3,597 | 4,600 |
| 14 | Tampa | $75,710 | −1% | $1,648 | 45.3 h | 32% | $3,526 | 5,190 |
| 15 | San Diego | $110,400 | +45% | $2,335 | 44.0 h | 32% | $4,873 | 4,950 |
| 16 | Atlanta | $60,910 | −20% | $1,619 | 55.3 h | 38% | $2,641 | 11,310 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $84,000 | +10% | $2,204 | 54.6 h | 39% | $3,456 | 14,630 |
| 18 | Miami | $79,840 | +5% | $2,121 | 55.3 h | 39% | $3,295 | 14,710 |
| 19 | New York | $105,540 | +38% | $2,729 | 53.8 h | 39% | $4,194 | 54,270 |
| 20 | Boston | $78,180 | +3% | $2,518 | 67.0 h | 47% | $2,801 | 11,440 |
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25nat.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.