Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Phillipsburg, NJ?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.7% of gross income.

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

Phillipsburg median rent
$2,000/mo
Police Officer salary (New Jersey)
$86,542/yr
Rent as % of income
27.7%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,212, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,164/mo in rent. Phillipsburg's median rent of $2,000 leaves roughly $164/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 48.1 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 Phillipsburg, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Paterson, NJ
$1,999/mo (27.7% of income)
East Windsor Township, NJ
$1,998/mo (27.7% of income)
Bordentown Township, NJ
$1,996/mo (27.7% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Phillipsburg

View full rent data for Phillipsburg, NJ

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Phillipsburg, NJ?

Median rent in Phillipsburg is $2,000 a month. A typical police officer in New Jersey earns about $86,542 a year, which makes that rent 27.7% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Phillipsburg?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Jersey (~$86,542/yr) supports up to $2,164 a month in rent. Phillipsburg's current median rent is $2,000/mo, which leaves a $164/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in New Jersey works roughly 48.1 hours a month to cover Phillipsburg's median rent of $2,000.

Where is rent cheaper than Phillipsburg for a police officer?

Nearby New Jersey cities with lower median rent include Paterson ($1,999/mo), East Windsor Township ($1,998/mo), Bordentown Township ($1,996/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 Phillipsburg, NJ. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.