HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Essex County, New Jersey (FY 2027)
$2,233 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Essex County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Essex is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,233
+1.3% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$2,010–$2,456
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$89,320
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in New Jersey
10th of 21
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,637 | $1,473–$1,801 | $65,480 | $31.48/hr | +1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,850 | $1,665–$2,035 | $74,000 | $35.58/hr | +1.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,233 | $2,010–$2,456 | $89,320 | $42.94/hr | +1.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,785 | $2,507–$3,064 | $111,400 | $53.56/hr | +0.9% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,188 | $2,869–$3,507 | $127,520 | $61.31/hr | +1.6% |
Five to eight 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 | $3,666 | $3,299–$4,033 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,144 | $3,730–$4,558 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,623 | $4,161–$5,085 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,101 | $4,591–$5,611 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
No card needed
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 $2,010 and $2,456. 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.
$2,233 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $89,320 a year. Put another way, $43 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$2,010 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,233 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,456 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,260 | $1,483 | $1,706 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $810 | $1,033 | $1,256 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 1% from FY 2026 ($2,205) to FY 2027 ($2,233). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 6.0% a year. The New Jersey median moved up 1% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,637 | $1,850 | $2,233 | $2,785 | $3,188 | +1.3% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Essex, that runs from $1,637 for a studio up to $3,188 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 $2,233 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 10th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $2,233 and about 110% above the national median county at $1,063. About 863,002 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,990 in 07017 (East Orange) and $3,350 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 | $2,600 | +16.4% |
| 07004 | Fairfield | $3,350 | +50.0% |
| 07006 | Caldwell | $2,650 | +18.7% |
| 07007 | Caldwell | $2,110 | -5.5% |
| 07009 | Cedar Grove | $2,520 | +12.9% |
| 07017 | East Orange | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07018 | East Orange | $2,100 | -6.0% |
| 07019 | East Orange | $2,110 | -5.5% |
| 07021 | Essex Fells | $2,860 | +28.1% |
| 07028 | Glen Ridge | $3,220 | +44.2% |
| 07039 | Livingston | $3,350 | +50.0% |
| 07040 | Maplewood | $2,870 | +28.5% |
| 07041 | Millburn | $2,630 | +17.8% |
| 07042 | Montclair | $2,940 | +31.7% |
| 07043 | Montclair | $3,190 | +42.9% |
| 07044 | Verona | $2,870 | +28.5% |
| 07050 | Orange | $2,310 | +3.4% |
| 07051 | Orange | $2,110 | -5.5% |
| 07052 | West Orange | $2,520 | +12.9% |
| 07068 | Roseland | $3,350 | +50.0% |
| 07078 | Short Hills | $3,350 | +50.0% |
| 07079 | South Orange | $3,120 | +39.7% |
| 07101 | Newark | $2,110 | -5.5% |
| 07102 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07103 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07104 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07105 | Newark | $2,020 | -9.5% |
| 07106 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07107 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07108 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07109 | Belleville | $2,300 | +3.0% |
| 07110 | Nutley | $2,310 | +3.4% |
| 07111 | Irvington | $2,040 | -8.6% |
| 07112 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07114 | Newark | $1,990 | -10.9% |
| 07175 | Newark | $2,233County rate | — |
| 07184 | Newark | $2,233County rate | — |
| 07188 | Newark | $2,233County rate | — |
| 07189 | Newark | $2,233County rate | — |
| 07191 | Newark | $2,233County rate | — |
Counties sharing the Newark metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,233 two-bedroom figure as Essex.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Essex.
Hudson County
8 mi · 718,323 people
$2,792
+25%
Union County
9 mi · 579,290 people
$2,233
same rate
Passaic County
13 mi · 521,012 people
$2,282
+2%
Bergen County
14 mi · 962,316 people
$2,282
+2%
Morris County
16 mi · 514,528 people
$2,233
same rate
Middlesex County
22 mi · 871,290 people
$2,623
+17%
Somerset County
25 mi · 349,846 people
$2,623
+17%
Monmouth County
34 mi · 645,353 people
$2,283
+2%
Questions people ask
$2,233 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,637 for a studio, $1,850 for one bedroom, $2,785 for three and $3,188 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The 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. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.