Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bristol, CT?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.7% of gross income.

Bristol rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Connecticut state estimate).

Bristol median rent
$1,679/mo
Police Officer salary (Connecticut)
$84,997/yr
Rent as % of income
23.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,083, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,125/mo in rent. Bristol's median rent of $1,679 leaves roughly $446/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 41.1 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 Connecticut cities have lower median rent than Bristol, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Norwich, CT
$1,678/mo (23.7% of income)
Killingly, CT
$1,675/mo (23.6% of income)
Danbury, CT
$1,672/mo (23.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bristol

View full rent data for Bristol, CT

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Bristol, CT?

Median rent in Bristol is $1,679 a month. A typical police officer in Connecticut earns about $84,997 a year, which makes that rent 23.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Bristol?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Connecticut (~$84,997/yr) supports up to $2,125 a month in rent. Bristol's current median rent is $1,679/mo, which leaves a $446/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $41 an hour, a police officer in Connecticut works roughly 41.1 hours a month to cover Bristol's median rent of $1,679.

Where is rent cheaper than Bristol for a police officer?

Nearby Connecticut cities with lower median rent include Norwich ($1,678/mo), Killingly ($1,675/mo), Danbury ($1,672/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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