Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Essex, MD?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.4% of gross income.
Essex 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 Essex, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Essex
View full rent data for Essex, MD →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Essex, MD?
Median rent in Essex is $1,352 a month. A typical police officer in Maryland earns about $83,452 a year, which makes that rent 19.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Essex?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Maryland (~$83,452/yr) supports up to $2,086 a month in rent. Essex's current median rent is $1,352/mo, which leaves a $734/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Essex?
At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a police officer in Maryland works roughly 33.7 hours a month to cover Essex's median rent of $1,352.
Where is rent cheaper than Essex for a police officer?
Nearby Maryland cities with lower median rent include Hagerstown ($1,348/mo), Hagerstown ($1,345/mo), Hagerstown ($1,344/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.