Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Short Hills, NJ?
Rent-burdened — rent takes 99.9% of gross income.
Short Hills rent: August 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 Short Hills, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Short Hills
View full rent data for Short Hills, NJ →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Short Hills, NJ?
Median rent in Short Hills is $7,203 a month. A typical police officer in New Jersey earns about $86,542 a year, which makes that rent 99.9% 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 Short Hills?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New Jersey (~$86,542/yr) supports up to $2,164 a month in rent. Short Hills's current median rent is $7,203/mo, which is $5,039/mo over the affordability threshold.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Short Hills?
At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in New Jersey works roughly 173.1 hours a month to cover Short Hills's median rent of $7,203.
Where is rent cheaper than Short Hills for a police officer?
Nearby New Jersey cities with lower median rent include Cresskill ($6,663/mo), Millburn ($6,500/mo), Cresskill ($6,500/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.