Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Rochester, NH?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.4% of gross income.
Rochester rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire cities have lower median rent than Rochester, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Rochester
View full rent data for Rochester, NH →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Rochester, NH?
Median rent in Rochester is $1,820 a month. A typical police officer in New Hampshire earns about $79,588 a year, which makes that rent 27.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Rochester?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Hampshire (~$79,588/yr) supports up to $1,990 a month in rent. Rochester's current median rent is $1,820/mo, which leaves a $170/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Rochester?
At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in New Hampshire works roughly 47.6 hours a month to cover Rochester's median rent of $1,820.
Where is rent cheaper than Rochester for a police officer?
Nearby New Hampshire cities with lower median rent include Keene ($1,819/mo), Exeter ($1,816/mo), Keene ($1,816/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.