Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Weirton, WV?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 15.2% of gross income.

Weirton rent: September 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (West Virginia state estimate).

Weirton median rent
$831/mo
Police Officer salary (West Virginia)
$65,680/yr
Rent as % of income
15.2%
Gross monthly income works out to about $5,473, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,642/mo in rent. Weirton's median rent of $831 leaves roughly $811/mo of headroom under that threshold. A police officer works roughly 26.3 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 Weirton, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:

Wheeling, WV
$825/mo (15.1% of income)
Wheeling, WV
$824/mo (15.1% of income)
Wheeling, WV
$817/mo (14.9% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Weirton

View full rent data for Weirton, WV →

Frequently asked questions

Can a police officer afford rent in Weirton, WV?

Median rent in Weirton is $831 a month. A typical police officer in West Virginia earns about $65,680 a year, which makes that rent 15.2% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a police officer afford in Weirton?

Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in West Virginia (~$65,680/yr) supports up to $1,642 a month in rent. Weirton's current median rent is $831/mo, which leaves a $811/mo buffer.

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

At an hourly equivalent of about $32 an hour, a police officer in West Virginia works roughly 26.3 hours a month to cover Weirton's median rent of $831.

Where is rent cheaper than Weirton for a police officer?

Nearby West Virginia cities with lower median rent include Wheeling ($825/mo), Wheeling ($824/mo), Wheeling ($817/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 Weirton, WV. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.