Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Ithaca, NY?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.8% of gross income.
Ithaca rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (New York 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 York cities have lower median rent than Ithaca, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Ithaca
View full rent data for Ithaca, NY →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Ithaca, NY?
Median rent in Ithaca is $2,038 a month. A typical police officer in New York earns about $88,088 a year, which makes that rent 27.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Ithaca?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in New York (~$88,088/yr) supports up to $2,202 a month in rent. Ithaca's current median rent is $2,038/mo, which leaves a $164/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Ithaca?
At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a police officer in New York works roughly 48.1 hours a month to cover Ithaca's median rent of $2,038.
Where is rent cheaper than Ithaca for a police officer?
Nearby New York cities with lower median rent include Saratoga Springs ($2,035/mo), Oneonta ($2,035/mo), East Amherst ($2,035/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.