HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Middlesex County, New Jersey (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Middlesex County is $2,623 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$2,623
+5.5% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$2,361–$2,885
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$104,920
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in New Jersey
3rd 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 | $1,953 | $1,758–$2,148 | $78,120 | $37.56/hr | +8.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,103 | $1,893–$2,313 | $84,120 | $40.44/hr | +6.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,623 | $2,361–$2,885 | $104,920 | $50.44/hr | +5.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,125 | $2,813–$3,438 | $125,000 | $60.10/hr | +4.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,508 | $3,157–$3,859 | $140,320 | $67.46/hr | +6.4% |
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 | $4,034 | $3,631–$4,437 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,560 | $4,104–$5,016 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $5,087 | $4,578–$5,596 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,613 | $5,052–$6,174 |
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 Middlesex actually rent for?
Search any address in Middlesex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Middlesex somewhere between $2,361 and $2,885. 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.
$2,623 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $104,920 a year. Put another way, $50 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%$2,361 | Voucher pays at 100%$2,623 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,885 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,611 | $1,873 | $2,135 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,161 | $1,423 | $1,685 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 6% from FY 2026 ($2,486) to FY 2027 ($2,623). Since FY 2020 it's up 48% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $1,193 | $1,382 | $1,770 | $2,228 | $2,572 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,204 | $1,371 | $1,753 | $2,187 | $2,492 | -1.0% |
| FY 2022 | $1,275 | $1,455 | $1,851 | $2,288 | $2,547 | +5.6% |
| FY 2023 | $1,336 | $1,515 | $1,917 | $2,333 | $2,575 | +3.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,608 | $1,807 | $2,276 | $2,756 | $3,031 | +18.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,540 | $1,731 | $2,176 | $2,622 | $2,885 | -4.4% |
| FY 2026 | $1,804 | $1,978 | $2,486 | $2,981 | $3,296 | +14.2% |
| FY 2027In effect | $1,953 | $2,103 | $2,623 | $3,125 | $3,508 | +5.5% |
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 Middlesex, that runs from $1,953 for a studio up to $3,508 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 Middlesex in with 2 other counties in the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon metro, Somerset County, Hunterdon County among them, and every one of them gets $2,623 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, Middlesex ranks 3rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 17% above the state median of $2,233 and about 147% above the national median county at $1,063. About 871,290 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,240 in 07077 (Sewaren) and $2,980 in 08824 (Kendall Park), with the 41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07001 | Avenel | $2,710 | +3.3% |
| 07008 | Carteret | $2,880 | +9.8% |
| 07064 | Port Reading | $2,590 | -1.3% |
| 07067 | Colonia | $2,800 | +6.7% |
| 07077 | Sewaren | $2,240 | -14.6% |
| 07080 | South Plainfield | $2,760 | +5.2% |
| 07095 | Woodbridge | $2,930 | +11.7% |
| 08512 | Cranbury | $2,250 | -14.2% |
| 08536 | Plainsboro | $2,720 | +3.7% |
| 08810 | Dayton | $2,870 | +9.4% |
| 08812 | Dunellen | $2,550 | -2.8% |
| 08816 | East Brunswick | $2,920 | +11.3% |
| 08817 | Edison | $2,790 | +6.4% |
| 08818 | Edison | $2,600 | -0.9% |
| 08820 | Edison | $2,870 | +9.4% |
| 08824 | Kendall Park | $2,980 | +13.6% |
| 08828 | Helmetta | $2,850 | +8.7% |
| 08830 | Iselin | $2,890 | +10.2% |
| 08831 | Monroe Township | $2,600 | -0.9% |
| 08832 | Keasbey | $2,470 | -5.8% |
| 08837 | Edison | $2,500 | -4.7% |
| 08840 | Metuchen | $2,930 | +11.7% |
| 08846 | Middlesex | $2,240 | -14.6% |
| 08850 | Milltown | $2,410 | -8.1% |
| 08852 | Monmouth Junction | $2,690 | +2.6% |
| 08854 | Piscataway | $2,840 | +8.3% |
| 08855 | Piscataway | $2,600 | -0.9% |
| 08857 | Old Bridge | $2,340 | -10.8% |
| 08859 | Parlin | $2,310 | -11.9% |
| 08861 | Perth Amboy | $2,250 | -14.2% |
| 08862 | Perth Amboy | $2,600 | -0.9% |
| 08863 | Fords | $2,740 | +4.5% |
| 08871 | Sayreville | $2,623County rate | — |
| 08872 | Sayreville | $2,240 | -14.6% |
| 08879 | South Amboy | $2,420 | -7.7% |
| 08882 | South River | $2,360 | -10.0% |
| 08884 | Spotswood | $2,240 | -14.6% |
| 08899 | Edison | $2,623County rate | — |
| 08901 | New Brunswick | $2,550 | -2.8% |
| 08902 | North Brunswick | $2,950 | +12.5% |
Counties sharing the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $2,623 two-bedroom figure as Middlesex.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Middlesex.
Somerset County
13 mi · 349,846 people
$2,623
same rate
Union County
13 mi · 579,290 people
$2,233
-15%
Monmouth County
19 mi · 645,353 people
$2,283
-13%
Essex County
22 mi · 863,002 people
$2,233
-15%
Mercer County
22 mi · 385,864 people
$2,242
-15%
Hudson County
25 mi · 718,323 people
$2,792
+6%
Morris County
26 mi · 514,528 people
$2,233
-15%
Hunterdon County
27 mi · 130,160 people
$2,623
same rate
Questions people ask
$2,623 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,953 for a studio, $2,103 for one bedroom, $3,125 for three and $3,508 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 Middlesex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Middlesex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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