HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, New Jersey (FY 2026)
$2,205 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Essex County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Essex is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,205
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,985 to $2,426
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$88,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Jersey
9th of 21
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Essex moves to $2,233. That's up 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Essex actually rent for?
Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,612 | $1,451 to $1,773 | $64,480 | $31.00/hr | +3.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,822 | $1,640 to $2,004 | $72,880 | $35.04/hr | +3.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,205 | $1,985 to $2,426 | $88,200 | $42.40/hr | +3.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,761 | $2,485 to $3,037 | $110,440 | $53.10/hr | +2.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,137 | $2,823 to $3,451 | $125,480 | $60.33/hr | +2.3% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $3,608 | $3,247 to $3,969 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,078 | $3,670 to $4,486 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,549 | $4,094 to $5,004 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,019 | $4,517 to $5,521 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Essex, that runs from $1,612 for a studio up to $3,137 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Essex in with 3 other counties in the Newark metro, Union County, Morris County, Sussex County among them, and every one of them gets $2,205 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among New Jersey's 21 counties, Essex ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $2,205 and about 117% above the national median county at $1,018. About 853,374 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Counties sharing the Newark metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,930 in 07102 (Newark) and $3,310 in 07004 (Fairfield), with the 35 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07003 | Bloomfield | $2,490 | +12.9% |
| 07004 | Fairfield | $3,310 | +50.1% |
| 07006 | Caldwell | $2,670 | +21.1% |
| 07007 | Caldwell | $2,080 | -5.7% |
| 07009 | Cedar Grove | $2,450 | +11.1% |
| 07017 | East Orange | $1,970 | -10.7% |
| 07018 | East Orange | $2,080 | -5.7% |
| 07019 | East Orange | $2,080 | -5.7% |
| 07021 | Essex Fells | $2,850 | +29.3% |
| 07028 | Glen Ridge | $2,930 | +32.9% |
| 07039 | Livingston | $3,310 | +50.1% |
| 07040 | Maplewood | $2,860 | +29.7% |
| 07041 | Millburn | $2,680 | +21.5% |
| 07042 | Montclair | $2,890 | +31.1% |
| 07043 | Montclair | $3,310 | +50.1% |
| 07044 | Verona | $2,820 | +27.9% |
| 07050 | Orange | $2,190 | -0.7% |
| 07051 | Orange | $2,080 | -5.7% |
| 07052 | West Orange | $2,540 | +15.2% |
| 07068 | Roseland | $3,310 | +50.1% |
| 07078 | Short Hills | $3,010 | +36.5% |
| 07079 | South Orange | $3,110 | +41.0% |
| 07101 | Newark | $2,080 | -5.7% |
| 07102 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07103 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07104 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07105 | Newark | $1,950 | -11.6% |
| 07106 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07107 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07108 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07109 | Belleville | $2,300 | +4.3% |
| 07110 | Nutley | $2,280 | +3.4% |
| 07111 | Irvington | $1,940 | -12.0% |
| 07112 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07114 | Newark | $1,930 | -12.5% |
| 07175 | Newark | $2,205County rate | — |
| 07184 | Newark | $2,205County rate | — |
| 07188 | Newark | $2,205County rate | — |
| 07189 | Newark | $2,205County rate | — |
| 07191 | Newark | $2,205County rate | — |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Essex somewhere between $1,985 and $2,426. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$2,205 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $88,200 a year. Put another way, $42 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,985) | HAP at 100% ($2,205) | HAP at 110% ($2,426) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,235 | $1,455 | $1,676 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $785 | $1,005 | $1,226 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 3% from FY 2025 ($2,140) to FY 2026 ($2,205). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 6.8% a year. The New Jersey median moved up 8% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,034 | $1,218 | $1,483 | $1,891 | $2,236 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,129 | $1,358 | $1,643 | $2,096 | $2,498 | +10.8% |
| FY 2022 | $1,017 | $1,223 | $1,479 | $1,887 | $2,249 | -10.0% |
| FY 2023 | $1,129 | $1,338 | $1,606 | $2,038 | $2,394 | +8.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,379 | $1,590 | $1,916 | $2,424 | $2,800 | +19.3% |
| FY 2025 | $1,551 | $1,768 | $2,140 | $2,695 | $3,065 | +11.7% |
| FY 2026 | $1,612 | $1,822 | $2,205 | $2,761 | $3,137 | +3.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,637 | $1,850 | $2,233 | $2,785 | $3,188 | +1.3% |
Nearby counties
Hudson County
$2,7638 mi · pop 712,029
Union County
$2,2059 mi · pop 572,079
Passaic County
$2,32413 mi · pop 519,986
Bergen County
$2,32414 mi · pop 953,243
Morris County
$2,20516 mi · pop 508,816
Middlesex County
$2,48622 mi · pop 860,147
Somerset County
$2,48625 mi · pop 344,978
Monmouth County
$2,32834 mi · pop 643,064
Questions people ask
$2,205 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,612 for a studio, $1,822 for one bedroom, $2,761 for three and $3,137 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Essex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Essex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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