Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Pottsville, PA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.1% of gross income.
Pottsville rent: July 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 Pottsville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Pottsville
View full rent data for Pottsville, PA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Pottsville, PA?
Median rent in Pottsville is $1,215 a month. A typical police officer in Pennsylvania earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 19.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Pottsville?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Pennsylvania (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Pottsville's current median rent is $1,215/mo, which leaves a $697/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Pottsville?
At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Pennsylvania works roughly 33 hours a month to cover Pottsville's median rent of $1,215.
Where is rent cheaper than Pottsville for a police officer?
Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Columbia ($1,214/mo), Elizabethtown ($1,213/mo), Clairton ($1,213/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.