Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bellefonte, PA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.8% of gross income.

Bellefonte rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Pennsylvania state estimate).

Bellefonte median rent
$1,584/mo
Police Officer salary (Pennsylvania)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
24.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Bellefonte's median rent of $1,584 leaves roughly $328/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 43.1 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 Pennsylvania cities have lower median rent than Bellefonte, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Horsham, PA
$1,583/mo (24.8% of income)
Mount Joy, PA
$1,581/mo (24.8% of income)
Glenside, PA
$1,580/mo (24.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bellefonte

View full rent data for Bellefonte, PA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Bellefonte, PA?

Median rent in Bellefonte is $1,584 a month. A typical police officer in Pennsylvania earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 24.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Bellefonte?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Pennsylvania (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Bellefonte's current median rent is $1,584/mo, which leaves a $328/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Pennsylvania works roughly 43.1 hours a month to cover Bellefonte's median rent of $1,584.

Where is rent cheaper than Bellefonte for a police officer?

Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Horsham ($1,583/mo), Mount Joy ($1,581/mo), Glenside ($1,580/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Pennsylvania state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Bellefonte, PA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.