Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Ridgefield Park, NJ?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 29.2% of gross income.

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

Ridgefield Park median rent
$2,109/mo
Police Officer salary (New Jersey)
$86,542/yr
Rent as % of income
29.2%
Gross monthly income works out to about $7,212, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,164/mo in rent. Ridgefield Park's median rent of $2,109 leaves roughly $55/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 50.7 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 Ridgefield Park, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Budd Lake, NJ
$2,107/mo (29.2% of income)
Plainsboro, NJ
$2,106/mo (29.2% of income)
East Orange, NJ
$2,106/mo (29.2% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Ridgefield Park

View full rent data for Ridgefield Park, NJ

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Ridgefield Park, NJ?

Median rent in Ridgefield Park is $2,109 a month. A typical police officer in New Jersey earns about $86,542 a year, which makes that rent 29.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Ridgefield Park?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Jersey (~$86,542/yr) supports up to $2,164 a month in rent. Ridgefield Park's current median rent is $2,109/mo, which leaves a $55/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in New Jersey works roughly 50.7 hours a month to cover Ridgefield Park's median rent of $2,109.

Where is rent cheaper than Ridgefield Park for a police officer?

Nearby New Jersey cities with lower median rent include Budd Lake ($2,107/mo), Plainsboro ($2,106/mo), East Orange ($2,106/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 Ridgefield Park, NJ. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.