Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Fairhaven, MA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.1% of gross income.
Fairhaven rent: January 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 Fairhaven, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Fairhaven
View full rent data for Fairhaven, MA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Fairhaven, MA?
Median rent in Fairhaven is $1,800 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 24.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Fairhaven?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Fairhaven's current median rent is $1,800/mo, which leaves a $441/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Fairhaven?
At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 41.8 hours a month to cover Fairhaven's median rent of $1,800.
Where is rent cheaper than Fairhaven for a police officer?
Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Holyoke ($1,799/mo), Fitchburg ($1,799/mo), Leominster ($1,798/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.