Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Gardner, MA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21% of gross income.
Gardner rent: July 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 Gardner, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Gardner
View full rent data for Gardner, MA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Gardner, MA?
Median rent in Gardner is $1,565 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 21% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Gardner?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Gardner's current median rent is $1,565/mo, which leaves a $676/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Gardner?
At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 36.3 hours a month to cover Gardner's median rent of $1,565.
Where is rent cheaper than Gardner for a police officer?
Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Lowell ($1,559/mo), Pittsfield ($1,546/mo), Haverhill ($1,543/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.