Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Sharon, MA?

Rent-burdened — rent takes 40.4% of gross income.

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

Sharon median rent
$3,016/mo
Police Officer salary (Massachusetts)
$89,633/yr
Rent as % of income
40.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,469, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,241/mo in rent. Sharon's median rent of $3,016 exceeds that threshold by $775/mo, putting a police officer salary into the rent-burdened range here. A police officer works roughly 70 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 Sharon, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Bedford, MA
$3,015/mo (40.4% of income)
Watertown, MA
$3,014/mo (40.4% of income)
Melrose, MA
$3,013/mo (40.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Sharon

View full rent data for Sharon, MA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Sharon, MA?

Median rent in Sharon is $3,016 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 40.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Sharon?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Sharon's current median rent is $3,016/mo, which is $775/mo over the affordability threshold.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 70 hours a month to cover Sharon's median rent of $3,016.

Where is rent cheaper than Sharon for a police officer?

Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Bedford ($3,015/mo), Watertown ($3,014/mo), Melrose ($3,013/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 Sharon, MA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.