Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Claymont, DE?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.8% of gross income.

Claymont rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Delaware state estimate).

Claymont median rent
$1,628/mo
Police Officer salary (Delaware)
$78,815/yr
Rent as % of income
24.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,568, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,970/mo in rent. Claymont's median rent of $1,628 leaves roughly $342/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 43 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 Delaware cities have lower median rent than Claymont, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Dover, DE
$1,624/mo (24.7% of income)
Dover, DE
$1,619/mo (24.7% of income)
Newark, DE
$1,443/mo (22% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Claymont

View full rent data for Claymont, DE

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Claymont, DE?

Median rent in Claymont is $1,628 a month. A typical police officer in Delaware earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 24.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Claymont?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Delaware (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Claymont's current median rent is $1,628/mo, which leaves a $342/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Delaware works roughly 43 hours a month to cover Claymont's median rent of $1,628.

Where is rent cheaper than Claymont for a police officer?

Nearby Delaware cities with lower median rent include Dover ($1,624/mo), Dover ($1,619/mo), Newark ($1,443/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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