Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Laconia, NH?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.8% of gross income.

Laconia rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Hampshire state estimate).

Laconia median rent
$1,974/mo
Police Officer salary (New Hampshire)
$79,588/yr
Rent as % of income
29.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,632, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,990/mo in rent. Laconia's median rent of $1,974 leaves roughly $16/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 51.6 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 New Hampshire cities have lower median rent than Laconia, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Manchester, NH
$1,971/mo (29.7% of income)
Rochester, NH
$1,967/mo (29.7% of income)
Manchester, NH
$1,955/mo (29.5% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Laconia

View full rent data for Laconia, NH

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Laconia, NH?

Median rent in Laconia is $1,974 a month. A typical police officer in New Hampshire earns about $79,588 a year, which makes that rent 29.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Laconia?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Hampshire (~$79,588/yr) supports up to $1,990 a month in rent. Laconia's current median rent is $1,974/mo, which leaves a $16/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in New Hampshire works roughly 51.6 hours a month to cover Laconia's median rent of $1,974.

Where is rent cheaper than Laconia for a police officer?

Nearby New Hampshire cities with lower median rent include Manchester ($1,971/mo), Rochester ($1,967/mo), Manchester ($1,955/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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