Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Salisbury, MD?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.8% of gross income.

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

Salisbury median rent
$1,588/mo
Police Officer salary (Maryland)
$83,452/yr
Rent as % of income
22.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,954, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,086/mo in rent. Salisbury's median rent of $1,588 leaves roughly $498/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 39.6 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 Salisbury, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Temple Hills, MD
$1,587/mo (22.8% of income)
Temple Hills, MD
$1,584/mo (22.8% of income)
Oxon Hill, MD
$1,583/mo (22.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Salisbury

View full rent data for Salisbury, MD

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Salisbury, MD?

Median rent in Salisbury is $1,588 a month. A typical police officer in Maryland earns about $83,452 a year, which makes that rent 22.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Salisbury?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Maryland (~$83,452/yr) supports up to $2,086 a month in rent. Salisbury's current median rent is $1,588/mo, which leaves a $498/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a police officer in Maryland works roughly 39.6 hours a month to cover Salisbury's median rent of $1,588.

Where is rent cheaper than Salisbury for a police officer?

Nearby Maryland cities with lower median rent include Temple Hills ($1,587/mo), Temple Hills ($1,584/mo), Oxon Hill ($1,583/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 Salisbury, MD. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.