Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20.6% of gross income.
Wilkes-Barre rent: September 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 Wilkes-Barre, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Wilkes-Barre
View full rent data for Wilkes-Barre, PA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
Median rent in Wilkes-Barre is $1,311 a month. A typical police officer in Pennsylvania earns about $76,497 a year, which makes that rent 20.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Wilkes-Barre?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Pennsylvania (~$76,497/yr) supports up to $1,912 a month in rent. Wilkes-Barre's current median rent is $1,311/mo, which leaves a $601/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Wilkes-Barre?
At an hourly equivalent of about $37 an hour, a police officer in Pennsylvania works roughly 35.6 hours a month to cover Wilkes-Barre's median rent of $1,311.
Where is rent cheaper than Wilkes-Barre for a police officer?
Nearby Pennsylvania cities with lower median rent include Lansdowne ($1,310/mo), Kingston ($1,310/mo), Verona ($1,310/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.