Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Plainville, MA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 28% of gross income.

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

Plainville median rent
$2,094/mo
Police Officer salary (Massachusetts)
$89,633/yr
Rent as % of income
28%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,469, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,241/mo in rent. Plainville's median rent of $2,094 leaves roughly $147/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 48.6 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 Plainville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Northampton, MA
$2,091/mo (28% of income)
Taunton, MA
$2,090/mo (28% of income)
Taunton, MA
$2,090/mo (28% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Plainville

View full rent data for Plainville, MA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Plainville, MA?

Median rent in Plainville is $2,094 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 28% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Plainville?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Plainville's current median rent is $2,094/mo, which leaves a $147/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 48.6 hours a month to cover Plainville's median rent of $2,094.

Where is rent cheaper than Plainville for a police officer?

Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Northampton ($2,091/mo), Taunton ($2,090/mo), Taunton ($2,090/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 Plainville, MA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.