Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Beltsville, MD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.6% of gross income.
Beltsville rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Maryland 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 Maryland cities have lower median rent than Beltsville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Beltsville
View full rent data for Beltsville, MD →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Beltsville, MD?
Median rent in Beltsville is $1,641 a month. A typical police officer in Maryland earns about $83,452 a year, which makes that rent 23.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Beltsville?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Maryland (~$83,452/yr) supports up to $2,086 a month in rent. Beltsville's current median rent is $1,641/mo, which leaves a $445/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Beltsville?
At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a police officer in Maryland works roughly 40.9 hours a month to cover Beltsville's median rent of $1,641.
Where is rent cheaper than Beltsville for a police officer?
Nearby Maryland cities with lower median rent include Temple Hills ($1,640/mo), Oxon Hill ($1,640/mo), East Riverdale ($1,638/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.