HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Ocean County, New Jersey (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ocean County is $2,328 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,328
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,095 to $2,561
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$93,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in New Jersey
6th of 21
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Ocean moves to $2,283. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Ocean actually rent for?
Search any address in Ocean 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 | $1,676 | $1,508 to $1,844 | $67,040 | $32.23/hr | +13.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,889 | $1,700 to $2,078 | $75,560 | $36.33/hr | +14.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,328 | $2,095 to $2,561 | $93,120 | $44.77/hr | +14.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,043 | $2,739 to $3,347 | $121,720 | $58.52/hr | +12.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,371 | $3,034 to $3,708 | $134,840 | $64.83/hr | +11.5% |
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 | $3,877 | $3,489 to $4,265 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,382 | $3,944 to $4,820 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,888 | $4,399 to $5,377 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $5,394 | $4,855 to $5,933 |
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 Ocean, that runs from $1,676 for a studio up to $3,371 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 Ocean in with one other county in the Monmouth-Ocean metro, Monmouth County among them, and every one of them gets $2,328 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, Ocean ranks 6th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% above the state median of $2,205 and about 129% above the national median county at $1,018. About 638,691 people live here, 6th in the state.
Counties sharing the Monmouth-Ocean metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,790 in 08759 (Manchester Township) and $2,780 in 08731 (Forked River), with the 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08005 | Barnegat | $2,480 | +6.5% |
| 08006 | Barnegat Light | $2,200 | -5.5% |
| 08008 | Beach Haven | $2,260 | -2.9% |
| 08050 | Manahawkin | $2,450 | +5.2% |
| 08087 | Tuckerton | $2,310 | -0.8% |
| 08092 | West Creek | $1,940 | -16.7% |
| 08527 | Jackson | $2,370 | +1.8% |
| 08533 | New Egypt | $2,010 | -13.7% |
| 08701 | Lakewood | $2,030 | -12.8% |
| 08721 | Bayville | $2,180 | -6.4% |
| 08722 | Beachwood | $2,740 | +17.7% |
| 08723 | Brick | $2,240 | -3.8% |
| 08724 | Brick | $2,390 | +2.7% |
| 08731 | Forked River | $2,780 | +19.4% |
| 08732 | Island Heights | $2,230 | -4.2% |
| 08733 | Lakehurst | $2,180 | -6.4% |
| 08734 | Lanoka Harbor | $2,300 | -1.2% |
| 08735 | Lavallette | $2,260 | -2.9% |
| 08738 | Mantoloking | $2,670 | +14.7% |
| 08739 | Normandy Beach | $2,300 | -1.2% |
| 08740 | Ocean Gate | $2,610 | +12.1% |
| 08741 | Pine Beach | $2,320 | -0.3% |
| 08742 | Point Pleasant Beach | $2,510 | +7.8% |
| 08751 | Seaside Heights | $1,850 | -20.5% |
| 08752 | Seaside Park | $1,960 | -15.8% |
| 08753 | Toms River | $2,300 | -1.2% |
| 08754 | Toms River | $2,300 | -1.2% |
| 08755 | Toms River | $2,130 | -8.5% |
| 08756 | Toms River | $2,328County rate | — |
| 08757 | Toms River | $2,280 | -2.1% |
| 08758 | Waretown | $2,080 | -10.7% |
| 08759 | Manchester Township | $1,790 | -23.1% |
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 Ocean somewhere between $2,095 and $2,561. 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.
$2,328 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $93,120 a year. Put another way, $45 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% ($2,095) | HAP at 100% ($2,328) | HAP at 110% ($2,561) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,345 | $1,578 | $1,811 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $895 | $1,128 | $1,361 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 14% from FY 2025 ($2,040) to FY 2026 ($2,328). Since FY 2020 it's up 42% in total, about 6.0% 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 | $1,088 | $1,270 | $1,639 | $2,251 | $2,523 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,126 | $1,291 | $1,652 | $2,277 | $2,524 | +0.8% |
| FY 2022 | $1,092 | $1,230 | $1,558 | $2,142 | $2,374 | -5.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,146 | $1,279 | $1,602 | $2,193 | $2,441 | +2.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,385 | $1,546 | $1,916 | $2,604 | $2,904 | +19.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,474 | $1,654 | $2,040 | $2,717 | $3,023 | +6.5% |
| FY 2026 | $1,676 | $1,889 | $2,328 | $3,043 | $3,371 | +14.1% |
| FY 2027 | $1,671 | $1,847 | $2,283 | $2,927 | $3,241 | -1.9% |
Nearby counties
Monmouth County
$2,32825 mi · pop 643,064
Burlington County
$1,81032 mi · pop 461,853
Mercer County
$1,95037 mi · pop 383,732
Atlantic County
$1,86740 mi · pop 274,339
Middlesex County
$2,48641 mi · pop 860,147
Camden County
$1,81045 mi · pop 522,581
Somerset County
$2,48650 mi · pop 344,978
Union County
$2,20552 mi · pop 572,079
Questions people ask
$2,328 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,676 for a studio, $1,889 for one bedroom, $3,043 for three and $3,371 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 Ocean actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Ocean for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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