Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Hagerstown, MD?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.7% of gross income.

Hagerstown rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Maryland state estimate).

Hagerstown median rent
$1,442/mo
Police Officer salary (Maryland)
$83,452/yr
Rent as % of income
20.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,954, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,086/mo in rent. Hagerstown's median rent of $1,442 leaves roughly $644/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 35.9 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 Maryland cities have lower median rent than Hagerstown, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Carney, MD
$1,439/mo (20.7% of income)
Reisterstown, MD
$1,437/mo (20.7% of income)
Lochearn, MD
$1,433/mo (20.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Hagerstown

View full rent data for Hagerstown, MD

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Hagerstown, MD?

Median rent in Hagerstown is $1,442 a month. A typical police officer in Maryland earns about $83,452 a year, which makes that rent 20.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Hagerstown?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Maryland (~$83,452/yr) supports up to $2,086 a month in rent. Hagerstown's current median rent is $1,442/mo, which leaves a $644/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a police officer in Maryland works roughly 35.9 hours a month to cover Hagerstown's median rent of $1,442.

Where is rent cheaper than Hagerstown for a police officer?

Nearby Maryland cities with lower median rent include Carney ($1,439/mo), Reisterstown ($1,437/mo), Lochearn ($1,433/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Maryland state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Hagerstown, MD. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.