Police & Fire Pension Plans

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44 police & fire plans · Avg funded ratio: 73.8%

What the Data Says About Police & Fire Pension Plans

The Public Plans Database (PPD) tracks 44 Police & Fire pension plans across the United States, covering a broad range of state and local retirement systems that share the police & fire occupational category. These plans report a weighted average funded ratio of 73.8%, based on the most recent actuarial valuations and Form 5500 filings submitted to the Department of Labor. Individual plan health varies widely within this category — from plans graded A for strong funding discipline to plans graded F that face severe structural shortfalls requiring legislative intervention.

The 73.8% category average for Police & Fire plans falls near the national public-pension average of 72–75%, indicating moderate funding gaps that vary significantly by state and sponsoring entity. Each plan's trajectory depends on contribution adequacy (whether employers pay the full Annual Required Contribution), investment returns relative to the assumed rate, and demographic trends such as the ratio of active contributors to retirees drawing benefits.

Public pension plans — including these police & fire systems — differ from private-sector pensions governed by ERISA and backstopped by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Public plans rely on the full faith and credit of the sponsoring state or local government, meaning funding shortfalls are resolved through state and local budget decisions rather than federal insurance. This information summarizes official Public Plans Database disclosures and is provided for research and educational purposes only. It is not financial, legal, or retirement-planning advice; active and retired members with specific benefit questions should consult their plan administrator.

Plan Funded Ratio Grade
Baltimore Fire and Police Employees Retirement System 102.4% B
New York City Fire 101.9% B
Iowa Municipal Fire and Police 101.5% B
Kansas City Police 98.6% B
Chicago Police 97.6% B
Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System 97.5% B
Charlotte Firefighters' Retirement System 96.1% B
St. Louis Police 95.5% B
Pittsburgh Fire 94.3% B
Louisiana Municipal Police 89.4% B
Dallas Police and Fire 87.2% B
St. Louis Firemen 86.2% B
Atlanta Police Fund 85.1% B
Jacksonville Police and Fire 84.0% B
New York City Police 83.4% B
Kansas City Fire 80.5% B
Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System 80.2% B
Oklahoma Fire 79.9% C
Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund 75.9% C
Austin Police 74.3% C
Birmingham Police and Fire 74.0% C
Chicago Fire 73.2% C
Bismarck Police Plan 72.7% C
Omaha Police and Fire Pension FundNew 72.4% C
Little Rock Firemen 71.4% C
Houston Police 70.4% C
Greenville Fire Pension Plan 69.1% C
Anchorage Police and Fire Retirement System 68.8% C
Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System 68.6% C
Arkansas Police and Fire 68.5% C
Charleston (WV) Police 68.5% C
New Orleans Firefighters 68.4% C
Charleston, WV Firemen's Pension 66.3% C
Austin Fire 63.9% C
Atlanta Fire 62.9% C
Marion County Law Enforcement 62.8% C
Los Angeles Fire and Police 61.2% C
Charlotte (NC) Law Enforcement 54.0% D
Pittsburgh Policemen's Relief and Pension Fund 53.7% D
Fairfax County Police 48.4% D
Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund 45.8% D
Lexington-Fayette County Policemen's and Firefighters' Retirement Fund 42.4% D
City of Miami Firefighters and Police Officers Retirement Trust 25.8% F
Sioux Falls Fire 24.4% F

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from official Public Plans Database and actuarial valuations from federal and state pension systems. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial