HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Middlesex County, New Jersey (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Middlesex County is $2,486 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,486
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,237 to $2,735
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$99,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Jersey
3rd of 21
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Middlesex moves to $2,623. That's up 6%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
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.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,804 | $1,624 to $1,984 | $72,160 | $34.69/hr | +17.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,978 | $1,780 to $2,176 | $79,120 | $38.04/hr | +14.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,486 | $2,237 to $2,735 | $99,440 | $47.81/hr | +14.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,981 | $2,683 to $3,279 | $119,240 | $57.33/hr | +13.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,296 | $2,966 to $3,626 | $131,840 | $63.38/hr | +14.2% |
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 | $3,790 | $3,411 to $4,169 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,285 | $3,857 to $4,714 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,779 | $4,301 to $5,257 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,274 | $4,747 to $5,801 |
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 Middlesex, that runs from $1,804 for a studio up to $3,296 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 $2,486 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 13% above the state median of $2,205 and about 144% above the national median county at $1,018. About 860,147 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Counties sharing the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,960 in 08884 (Spotswood) and $2,970 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 | $2,540 | +2.2% |
| 07008 | Carteret | $2,690 | +8.2% |
| 07064 | Port Reading | $2,470 | -0.6% |
| 07067 | Colonia | $2,600 | +4.6% |
| 07077 | Sewaren | $1,970 | -20.8% |
| 07080 | South Plainfield | $2,590 | +4.2% |
| 07095 | Woodbridge | $2,810 | +13.0% |
| 08512 | Cranbury | $2,090 | -15.9% |
| 08536 | Plainsboro | $2,560 | +3.0% |
| 08810 | Dayton | $2,710 | +9.0% |
| 08812 | Dunellen | $2,480 | -0.2% |
| 08816 | East Brunswick | $2,760 | +11.0% |
| 08817 | Edison | $2,560 | +3.0% |
| 08818 | Edison | $2,470 | -0.6% |
| 08820 | Edison | $2,710 | +9.0% |
| 08824 | Kendall Park | $2,970 | +19.5% |
| 08828 | Helmetta | $2,640 | +6.2% |
| 08830 | Iselin | $2,770 | +11.4% |
| 08831 | Monroe Township | $2,430 | -2.3% |
| 08832 | Keasbey | $2,370 | -4.7% |
| 08837 | Edison | $2,370 | -4.7% |
| 08840 | Metuchen | $2,840 | +14.2% |
| 08846 | Middlesex | $2,210 | -11.1% |
| 08850 | Milltown | $2,440 | -1.9% |
| 08852 | Monmouth Junction | $2,570 | +3.4% |
| 08854 | Piscataway | $2,660 | +7.0% |
| 08855 | Piscataway | $2,470 | -0.6% |
| 08857 | Old Bridge | $2,180 | -12.3% |
| 08859 | Parlin | $2,170 | -12.7% |
| 08861 | Perth Amboy | $2,080 | -16.3% |
| 08862 | Perth Amboy | $2,470 | -0.6% |
| 08863 | Fords | $2,630 | +5.8% |
| 08871 | Sayreville | $2,486County rate | — |
| 08872 | Sayreville | $2,020 | -18.7% |
| 08879 | South Amboy | $2,300 | -7.5% |
| 08882 | South River | $2,230 | -10.3% |
| 08884 | Spotswood | $1,960 | -21.2% |
| 08899 | Edison | $2,486County rate | — |
| 08901 | New Brunswick | $2,380 | -4.3% |
| 08902 | North Brunswick | $2,740 | +10.2% |
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 $2,237 and $2,735. 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.
$2,486 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $99,440 a year. Put another way, $48 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% ($2,237) | HAP at 100% ($2,486) | HAP at 110% ($2,735) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,487 | $1,736 | $1,985 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,037 | $1,286 | $1,535 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 14% from FY 2025 ($2,176) to FY 2026 ($2,486). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $1,193 | $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 2027 | $1,953 | $2,103 | $2,623 | $3,125 | $3,508 | +5.5% |
Nearby counties
Somerset County
$2,48613 mi · pop 344,978
Union County
$2,20513 mi · pop 572,079
Monmouth County
$2,32819 mi · pop 643,064
Essex County
$2,20522 mi · pop 853,374
Mercer County
$1,95022 mi · pop 383,732
Hudson County
$2,76325 mi · pop 712,029
Morris County
$2,20526 mi · pop 508,816
Hunterdon County
$2,48627 mi · pop 129,099
Questions people ask
$2,486 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,804 for a studio, $1,978 for one bedroom, $2,981 for three and $3,296 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 Middlesex actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Middlesex for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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