Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Rockport, MA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24% of gross income.

Rockport rent: January 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Massachusetts state estimate).

Rockport median rent
$1,795/mo
Police Officer salary (Massachusetts)
$89,633/yr
Rent as % of income
24%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,469, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,241/mo in rent. Rockport's median rent of $1,795 leaves roughly $446/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 41.7 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 Rockport, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Chicopee, MA
$1,793/mo (24% of income)
Fall River, MA
$1,791/mo (24% of income)
Springfield, MA
$1,790/mo (24% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Rockport

View full rent data for Rockport, MA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Rockport, MA?

Median rent in Rockport is $1,795 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 24% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Rockport?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Rockport's current median rent is $1,795/mo, which leaves a $446/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 41.7 hours a month to cover Rockport's median rent of $1,795.

Where is rent cheaper than Rockport for a police officer?

Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Chicopee ($1,793/mo), Fall River ($1,791/mo), Springfield ($1,790/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 Rockport, MA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.