Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Middletown, PA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22% of gross income.

Middletown rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Pennsylvania state estimate).

Middletown median rent
$1,404/mo
Police Officer salary (Pennsylvania)
$76,497/yr
Rent as % of income
22%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,375, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,912/mo in rent. Middletown's median rent of $1,404 leaves roughly $508/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 38.2 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 Middletown, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Coraopolis, PA
$1,403/mo (22% of income)
Bridgeville, PA
$1,403/mo (22% of income)
Lebanon, PA
$1,402/mo (22% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Middletown

View full rent data for Middletown, PA →

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Middletown, PA?

Median rent in Middletown is $1,404 a month. A typical police officer in Pennsylvania earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 22% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Middletown?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Pennsylvania (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Middletown's current median rent is $1,404/mo, which leaves a $508/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Pennsylvania works roughly 38.2 hours a month to cover Middletown's median rent of $1,404.

Where is rent cheaper than Middletown for a police officer?

Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Coraopolis ($1,403/mo), Bridgeville ($1,403/mo), Lebanon ($1,402/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 Middletown, PA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.