Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Hershey, PA?
Stretched but workable — rent takes 30.4% of gross income.
Hershey rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania cities have lower median rent than Hershey, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Hershey
View full rent data for Hershey, PA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Hershey, PA?
Median rent in Hershey is $1,941 a month. A typical police officer in Pennsylvania earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 30.4% 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 Hershey?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Pennsylvania (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Hershey's current median rent is $1,941/mo, which is $29/mo over the affordability threshold.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Hershey?
At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Pennsylvania works roughly 52.8 hours a month to cover Hershey's median rent of $1,941.
Where is rent cheaper than Hershey for a police officer?
Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Emmaus ($1,940/mo), Ambler ($1,939/mo), Elkins Park ($1,939/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.