Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Gaffney, SC?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19% of gross income.

Gaffney rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (South Carolina state estimate).

Gaffney median rent
$1,074/mo
Police Officer salary (South Carolina)
$67,998/yr
Rent as % of income
19%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,667, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,700/mo in rent. Gaffney's median rent of $1,074 leaves roughly $626/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 32.9 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 South Carolina cities have lower median rent than Gaffney, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Rock Hill, SC
$1,060/mo (18.7% of income)
Hartsville, SC
$1,060/mo (18.7% of income)
Columbia, SC
$1,056/mo (18.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Gaffney

View full rent data for Gaffney, SC

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Gaffney, SC?

Median rent in Gaffney is $1,074 a month. A typical police officer in South Carolina earns about $67,998 a year, which makes that rent 19% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Gaffney?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in South Carolina (~$67,998/yr) supports up to $1,700 a month in rent. Gaffney's current median rent is $1,074/mo, which leaves a $626/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $33 an hour, a police officer in South Carolina works roughly 32.9 hours a month to cover Gaffney's median rent of $1,074.

Where is rent cheaper than Gaffney for a police officer?

Nearby South Carolina cities with lower median rent include Rock Hill ($1,060/mo), Hartsville ($1,060/mo), Columbia ($1,056/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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