Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Atlantic City, NJ?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.5% of gross income.

Atlantic City rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Jersey state estimate).

Atlantic City median rent
$1,765/mo
Police Officer salary (New Jersey)
$86,542/yr
Rent as % of income
24.5%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,212, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,164/mo in rent. Atlantic City's median rent of $1,765 leaves roughly $399/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 42.4 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 Jersey cities have lower median rent than Atlantic City, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Camden, NJ
$1,762/mo (24.4% of income)
Camden, NJ
$1,761/mo (24.4% of income)
Edgewater Park Township, NJ
$1,761/mo (24.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Atlantic City

View full rent data for Atlantic City, NJ

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Atlantic City, NJ?

Median rent in Atlantic City is $1,765 a month. A typical police officer in New Jersey earns about $86,542 a year, which makes that rent 24.5% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Atlantic City?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Jersey (~$86,542/yr) supports up to $2,164 a month in rent. Atlantic City's current median rent is $1,765/mo, which leaves a $399/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in New Jersey works roughly 42.4 hours a month to cover Atlantic City's median rent of $1,765.

Where is rent cheaper than Atlantic City for a police officer?

Nearby New Jersey cities with lower median rent include Camden ($1,762/mo), Camden ($1,761/mo), Edgewater Park Township ($1,761/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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