Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Pawtucket, RI?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 28.6% of gross income.

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

Pawtucket median rent
$1,912/mo
Police Officer salary (Rhode Island)
$80,361/yr
Rent as % of income
28.6%
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 $1,912 leaves roughly $97/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 49.5 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:

Cranston, RI
$1,911/mo (28.5% of income)
Cranston, RI
$1,911/mo (28.5% of income)
Cranston, RI
$1,910/mo (28.5% 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 $1,912 a month. A typical police officer in Rhode Island earns about $80,361 a year, which makes that rent 28.6% 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 $1,912/mo, which leaves a $97/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 49.5 hours a month to cover Pawtucket's median rent of $1,912.

Where is rent cheaper than Pawtucket for a police officer?

Nearby Rhode Island cities with lower median rent include Cranston ($1,911/mo), Cranston ($1,911/mo), Cranston ($1,910/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.