Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bennington, VT?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.2% of gross income.

Bennington rent: March 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Vermont state estimate).

Bennington median rent
$1,388/mo
Police Officer salary (Vermont)
$74,952/yr
Rent as % of income
22.2%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,246, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,874/mo in rent. Bennington's median rent of $1,388 leaves roughly $486/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 38.5 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 Vermont cities have lower median rent than Bennington, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Barre, VT
$1,382/mo (22.1% of income)
Barre, VT
$1,360/mo (21.8% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bennington

View full rent data for Bennington, VT

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Bennington, VT?

Median rent in Bennington is $1,388 a month. A typical police officer in Vermont earns about $74,952 a year, which makes that rent 22.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Bennington?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Vermont (~$74,952/yr) supports up to $1,874 a month in rent. Bennington's current median rent is $1,388/mo, which leaves a $486/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $36 an hour, a police officer in Vermont works roughly 38.5 hours a month to cover Bennington's median rent of $1,388.

Where is rent cheaper than Bennington for a police officer?

Nearby Vermont cities with lower median rent include Barre ($1,382/mo), Barre ($1,360/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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