Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Fairmont, WV?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 21.4% of gross income.
Fairmont rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (West 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 West Virginia cities have lower median rent than Fairmont, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Fairmont
View full rent data for Fairmont, WV →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Fairmont, WV?
Median rent in Fairmont is $1,170 a month. A typical police officer in West Virginia earns about $65,680 a year, which makes that rent 21.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Fairmont?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in West Virginia (~$65,680/yr) supports up to $1,642 a month in rent. Fairmont's current median rent is $1,170/mo, which leaves a $472/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Fairmont?
At an hourly equivalent of about $32 an hour, a police officer in West Virginia works roughly 37.1 hours a month to cover Fairmont's median rent of $1,170.
Where is rent cheaper than Fairmont for a police officer?
Nearby West Virginia cities with lower median rent include Morgantown ($1,119/mo), South Charleston ($1,088/mo), Morgantown ($1,051/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a police officer salary.