Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Bridgeport, WV?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21% of gross income.

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

Bridgeport median rent
$1,149/mo
Police Officer salary (West Virginia)
$65,680/yr
Rent as % of income
21%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,473, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,642/mo in rent. Bridgeport's median rent of $1,149 leaves roughly $493/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 36.4 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 West Virginia cities have lower median rent than Bridgeport, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Charleston, WV
$1,139/mo (20.8% of income)
Charleston, WV
$1,131/mo (20.7% of income)
Charleston, WV
$1,125/mo (20.6% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bridgeport

View full rent data for Bridgeport, WV

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Bridgeport, WV?

Median rent in Bridgeport is $1,149 a month. A typical police officer in West Virginia earns about $65,680 a year, which makes that rent 21% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Bridgeport?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in West Virginia (~$65,680/yr) supports up to $1,642 a month in rent. Bridgeport's current median rent is $1,149/mo, which leaves a $493/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $32 an hour, a police officer in West Virginia works roughly 36.4 hours a month to cover Bridgeport's median rent of $1,149.

Where is rent cheaper than Bridgeport for a police officer?

Nearby West Virginia cities with lower median rent include Charleston ($1,139/mo), Charleston ($1,131/mo), Charleston ($1,125/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.

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