Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Chicopee, MA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.9% of gross income.

Chicopee rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Massachusetts state estimate).

Chicopee median rent
$1,635/mo
Police Officer salary (Massachusetts)
$89,633/yr
Rent as % of income
21.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,469, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,241/mo in rent. Chicopee's median rent of $1,635 leaves roughly $606/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 37.9 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 Massachusetts cities have lower median rent than Chicopee, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Springfield, MA
$1,634/mo (21.9% of income)
Lynn, MA
$1,625/mo (21.8% of income)
Holyoke, MA
$1,619/mo (21.7% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Chicopee

View full rent data for Chicopee, MA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Chicopee, MA?

Median rent in Chicopee is $1,635 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 21.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Chicopee?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Chicopee's current median rent is $1,635/mo, which leaves a $606/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 37.9 hours a month to cover Chicopee's median rent of $1,635.

Where is rent cheaper than Chicopee for a police officer?

Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Springfield ($1,634/mo), Lynn ($1,625/mo), Holyoke ($1,619/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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