Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Danville, VA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 17.8% of gross income.

Danville rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Virginia state estimate).

Danville median rent
$1,167/mo
Police Officer salary (Virginia)
$78,815/yr
Rent as % of income
17.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,568, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,970/mo in rent. Danville's median rent of $1,167 leaves roughly $803/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 30.8 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 Virginia cities have lower median rent than Danville, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Radford, VA
$1,165/mo (17.7% of income)
Radford, VA
$1,159/mo (17.6% of income)
Harrisonburg, VA
$1,159/mo (17.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Danville

View full rent data for Danville, VA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Danville, VA?

Median rent in Danville is $1,167 a month. A typical police officer in Virginia earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 17.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Danville?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Virginia (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Danville's current median rent is $1,167/mo, which leaves a $803/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Virginia works roughly 30.8 hours a month to cover Danville's median rent of $1,167.

Where is rent cheaper than Danville for a police officer?

Nearby Virginia cities with lower median rent include Radford ($1,165/mo), Radford ($1,159/mo), Harrisonburg ($1,159/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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