Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Middletown, MD?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.6% of gross income.

Middletown rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Maryland state estimate).

Middletown median rent
$1,922/mo
Police Officer salary (Maryland)
$83,452/yr
Rent as % of income
27.6%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,954, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,086/mo in rent. Middletown's median rent of $1,922 leaves roughly $164/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 47.9 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 Middletown, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Rockville, MD
$1,921/mo (27.6% of income)
Pasadena, MD
$1,920/mo (27.6% of income)
Bel Air, MD
$1,920/mo (27.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Middletown

View full rent data for Middletown, MD

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Middletown, MD?

Median rent in Middletown is $1,922 a month. A typical police officer in Maryland earns about $83,452 a year, which makes that rent 27.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Middletown?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Maryland (~$83,452/yr) supports up to $2,086 a month in rent. Middletown's current median rent is $1,922/mo, which leaves a $164/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a police officer in Maryland works roughly 47.9 hours a month to cover Middletown's median rent of $1,922.

Where is rent cheaper than Middletown for a police officer?

Nearby Maryland cities with lower median rent include Rockville ($1,921/mo), Pasadena ($1,920/mo), Bel Air ($1,920/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 Middletown, MD. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.