Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Portsmouth, VA?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 24.6% of gross income.
Portsmouth rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Virginia state estimate).
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 Portsmouth, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Portsmouth
View full rent data for Portsmouth, VA →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Portsmouth, VA?
Median rent in Portsmouth is $1,617 a month. A typical police officer in Virginia earns about $78,815 a year, which makes that rent 24.6% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Portsmouth?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Virginia (~$78,815/yr) supports up to $1,970 a month in rent. Portsmouth's current median rent is $1,617/mo, which leaves a $353/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Portsmouth?
At an hourly equivalent of about $38 an hour, a police officer in Virginia works roughly 42.7 hours a month to cover Portsmouth's median rent of $1,617.
Where is rent cheaper than Portsmouth for a police officer?
Nearby Virginia cities with lower median rent include Bellwood ($1,615/mo), Norfolk ($1,610/mo), Norfolk ($1,607/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.