Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Dover, DE?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 25.2% of gross income.
Dover rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Delaware state estimate).
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 Dover, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Dover
View full rent data for Dover, DE →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Dover, DE?
Median rent in Dover is $1,654 a month. A typical police officer in Delaware earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 25.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Dover?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Delaware (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Dover's current median rent is $1,654/mo, which leaves a $316/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Dover?
At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Delaware works roughly 43.7 hours a month to cover Dover's median rent of $1,654.
Where is rent cheaper than Dover for a police officer?
Nearby Delaware cities with lower median rent include Bear ($1,649/mo), New Castle ($1,648/mo), New Castle ($1,645/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.