Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Pawtucket, RI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 28% of gross income.

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

Pawtucket median rent
$1,872/mo
Police Officer salary (Rhode Island)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
28%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,697, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,009/mo in rent. Pawtucket's median rent of $1,872 leaves roughly $137/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 48.5 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 Pawtucket, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Lincoln, RI
$1,865/mo (27.8% of income)
West Warwick, RI
$1,848/mo (27.6% of income)
Lincoln, RI
$1,837/mo (27.4% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Pawtucket

View full rent data for Pawtucket, RI

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Pawtucket, RI?

Median rent in Pawtucket is $1,872 a month. A typical police officer in Rhode Island earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 28% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Pawtucket?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Rhode Island (~$80,361/yr) supports up to $2,009 a month in rent. Pawtucket's current median rent is $1,872/mo, which leaves a $137/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $39 an hour, a police officer in Rhode Island works roughly 48.5 hours a month to cover Pawtucket's median rent of $1,872.

Where is rent cheaper than Pawtucket for a police officer?

Nearby Rhode Island cities with lower median rent include Lincoln ($1,865/mo), West Warwick ($1,848/mo), Lincoln ($1,837/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 Pawtucket, RI. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.