Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Cranston, RI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 30% of gross income.

Cranston rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Rhode Island state estimate).

Cranston median rent
$2,009/mo
Police Officer salary (Rhode Island)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
30%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. Cranston's median rent of $2,009 leaves roughly $0/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 52 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 Rhode Island cities have lower median rent than Cranston, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Westerly, RI
$2,006/mo (30% of income)
Westerly, RI
$2,000/mo (29.9% of income)
Lincoln, RI
$1,999/mo (29.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Cranston

View full rent data for Cranston, RI

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Cranston, RI?

Median rent in Cranston is $2,009 a month. A typical police officer in Rhode Island earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 30% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Cranston?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Rhode Island (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Cranston's current median rent is $2,009/mo, which is $0/mo over the affordability threshold.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Rhode Island works roughly 52 hours a month to cover Cranston's median rent of $2,009.

Where is rent cheaper than Cranston for a police officer?

Nearby Rhode Island cities with lower median rent include Westerly ($2,006/mo), Westerly ($2,000/mo), Lincoln ($1,999/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Rhode Island state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Cranston, RI. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.