Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Cambridge, MA?
Rent-burdened — rent takes 48.2% of gross income.
Cambridge rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts cities have lower median rent than Cambridge, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Cambridge
View full rent data for Cambridge, MA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Cambridge, MA?
Median rent in Cambridge is $3,598 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 48.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Cambridge?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Cambridge's current median rent is $3,598/mo, which is $1,357/mo over the affordability threshold.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Cambridge?
At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 83.5 hours a month to cover Cambridge's median rent of $3,598.
Where is rent cheaper than Cambridge for a police officer?
Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Somerville ($3,589/mo), Concord ($3,588/mo), Concord ($3,570/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.