Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Worcester, MA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29% of gross income.
Worcester rent: June 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 Worcester, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Worcester
View full rent data for Worcester, MA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Worcester, MA?
Median rent in Worcester is $2,164 a month. A typical police officer in Massachusetts earns about $89,633 a year, which makes that rent 29% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Worcester?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Massachusetts (~$89,633/yr) supports up to $2,241 a month in rent. Worcester's current median rent is $2,164/mo, which leaves a $77/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Worcester?
At an hourly equivalent of about $43 an hour, a police officer in Massachusetts works roughly 50.2 hours a month to cover Worcester's median rent of $2,164.
Where is rent cheaper than Worcester for a police officer?
Nearby Massachusetts cities with lower median rent include Brockton ($2,163/mo), Attleboro ($2,152/mo), Taunton ($2,151/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.