Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Clarks Summit, PA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 27.9% of gross income.

Clarks Summit rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Pennsylvania state estimate).

Clarks Summit median rent
$1,780/mo
Police Officer salary (Pennsylvania)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
27.9%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Clarks Summit's median rent of $1,780 leaves roughly $132/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 48.4 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 Clarks Summit, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Northampton, PA
$1,777/mo (27.9% of income)
Wyncote, PA
$1,775/mo (27.8% of income)
Lititz, PA
$1,775/mo (27.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Clarks Summit

View full rent data for Clarks Summit, PA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Clarks Summit, PA?

Median rent in Clarks Summit is $1,780 a month. A typical police officer in Pennsylvania earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 27.9% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Clarks Summit?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Pennsylvania (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Clarks Summit's current median rent is $1,780/mo, which leaves a $132/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Pennsylvania works roughly 48.4 hours a month to cover Clarks Summit's median rent of $1,780.

Where is rent cheaper than Clarks Summit for a police officer?

Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Northampton ($1,777/mo), Wyncote ($1,775/mo), Lititz ($1,775/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 Clarks Summit, PA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.