Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Hopewell, VA?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.6% of gross income.

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

Hopewell median rent
$1,419/mo
Police Officer salary (Virginia)
$78,815/yr
Rent as % of income
21.6%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,568, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,970/mo in rent. Hopewell's median rent of $1,419 leaves roughly $551/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 37.4 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 Hopewell, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Farmville, VA
$1,417/mo (21.6% of income)
Staunton, VA
$1,416/mo (21.6% of income)
Bristol, VA
$1,414/mo (21.5% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Hopewell

View full rent data for Hopewell, VA

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Hopewell, VA?

Median rent in Hopewell is $1,419 a month. A typical police officer in Virginia earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 21.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Hopewell?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Virginia (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Hopewell's current median rent is $1,419/mo, which leaves a $551/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Virginia works roughly 37.4 hours a month to cover Hopewell's median rent of $1,419.

Where is rent cheaper than Hopewell for a police officer?

Nearby Virginia cities with lower median rent include Farmville ($1,417/mo), Staunton ($1,416/mo), Bristol ($1,414/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 Hopewell, VA. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.