Rent Affordability for A Police Officer in Virginia
A typical police officer in Virginia earns about $78,815 a year, which supports approximately $1,970 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Virginia city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 37 of 89 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 52 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martinsville, VA | $907/mo | 13.8% | very comfortable |
| Madison Heights, VA | $979/mo | 14.9% | very comfortable |
| Danville, VA | $1,143/mo | 17.4% | very comfortable |
| Radford, VA | $1,253/mo | 19.1% | very comfortable |
| Lynchburg, VA | $1,270/mo | 19.3% | very comfortable |
| Farmville, VA | $1,298/mo | 19.8% | very comfortable |
| Hopewell, VA | $1,322/mo | 20.1% | affordable |
| Roanoke, VA | $1,368/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Petersburg, VA | $1,373/mo | 20.9% | affordable |
| Waynesboro, VA | $1,398/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Bristol, VA | $1,399/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Staunton, VA | $1,473/mo | 22.4% | affordable |
| Christiansburg, VA | $1,553/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Salem, VA | $1,574/mo | 24% | affordable |
| Forest, VA | $1,574/mo | 24% | affordable |
| South Hill, VA | $1,575/mo | 24% | affordable |
| Newport News, VA | $1,593/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Richmond, VA | $1,628/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Montrose, VA | $1,629/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Portsmouth, VA | $1,642/mo | 25% | affordable |
| Lexington, VA | $1,647/mo | 25.1% | affordable |
| Colonial Heights, VA | $1,665/mo | 25.4% | affordable |
| Highland Springs, VA | $1,683/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Hampton, VA | $1,690/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $1,720/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Bellwood, VA | $1,724/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Henrico, VA | $1,722/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Norfolk, VA | $1,749/mo | 26.6% | affordable |
| East Highland Park, VA | $1,760/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Winchester, VA | $1,768/mo | 26.9% | affordable |
| Fishersville, VA | $1,810/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Chester, VA | $1,829/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Powhatan, VA | $1,835/mo | 27.9% | affordable |
| Culpeper, VA | $1,878/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Blacksburg, VA | $1,910/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Spotsylvania, VA | $1,919/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Front Royal, VA | $1,944/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Carrollton, VA | $1,994/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Palmyra, VA | $2,000/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Glen Allen, VA | $2,022/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Suffolk, VA | $2,028/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Charlottesville, VA | $2,029/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Midlothian, VA | $2,028/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Yorktown, VA | $2,049/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Chesapeake, VA | $2,063/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Fredericksburg, VA | $2,061/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Belle Haven, VA | $2,074/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $2,098/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Williamsburg, VA | $2,094/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Fort Belvoir, VA | $2,092/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Huntington, VA | $2,111/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Manassas Park, VA | $2,115/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Stephens City, VA | $2,112/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Manassas, VA | $2,135/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Woodbridge, VA | $2,174/mo | 33.1% | stretched |
| Chesterfield, VA | $2,178/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Mechanicsville, VA | $2,225/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Lincolnia, VA | $2,231/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Warrenton, VA | $2,237/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Alexandria, VA | $2,275/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Lakeside, VA | $2,333/mo | 35.5% | stretched |
| Herndon, VA | $2,382/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Centreville, VA | $2,396/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Prince George, VA | $2,395/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Mount Vernon, VA | $2,402/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Leesburg, VA | $2,431/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Stafford, VA | $2,436/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Fairfax, VA | $2,456/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Annandale, VA | $2,482/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Falls Church, VA | $2,534/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Smithfield, VA | $2,554/mo | 38.9% | stretched |
| Sterling, VA | $2,560/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Lorton, VA | $2,562/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Reston, VA | $2,589/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Arlington, VA | $2,680/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| McLean, VA | $2,732/mo | 41.6% | rent-burdened |
| Dumfries, VA | $2,901/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Ashburn, VA | $2,934/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Burke, VA | $3,003/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Gainesville, VA | $3,021/mo | 46% | rent-burdened |
| Springfield, VA | $3,052/mo | 46.5% | rent-burdened |
| Purcellville, VA | $3,063/mo | 46.6% | rent-burdened |
| Oakton, VA | $3,066/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Chantilly, VA | $3,108/mo | 47.3% | rent-burdened |
| Aldie, VA | $3,156/mo | 48.1% | rent-burdened |
| Vienna, VA | $3,320/mo | 50.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Haymarket, VA | $3,554/mo | 54.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Fort Hunt, VA | $4,274/mo | 65.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Great Falls, VA | $4,911/mo | 74.8% | severely rent-burdened |