Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Lavallette, NJ?
Rent-burdened — rent takes 46.3% of gross income.
Lavallette rent: February 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New Jersey 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 Jersey cities have lower median rent than Lavallette, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Lavallette
View full rent data for Lavallette, NJ →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Lavallette, NJ?
Median rent in Lavallette is $3,338 a month. A typical police officer in New Jersey earns about $86,542 a year, which makes that rent 46.3% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Lavallette?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Jersey (~$86,542/yr) supports up to $2,164 a month in rent. Lavallette's current median rent is $3,338/mo, which is $1,174/mo over the affordability threshold.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Lavallette?
At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in New Jersey works roughly 80.2 hours a month to cover Lavallette's median rent of $3,338.
Where is rent cheaper than Lavallette for a police officer?
Nearby New Jersey cities with lower median rent include Morganville ($3,336/mo), Cedar Knolls ($3,334/mo), Middletown ($3,325/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.