HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Somerset County, New Jersey (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Somerset 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
4th of 21
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Somerset 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 Somerset actually rent for?
Search any address in Somerset 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 Somerset, 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 Somerset in with 2 other counties in the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon metro, Middlesex 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, Somerset ranks 4th 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 344,978 people live here, 13th 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 $2,240 in 08553 (Rocky Hill) and $3,290 in 08502 (Belle Mead), with the 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07059 | Warren | $2,850 | +14.6% |
| 07920 | Basking Ridge | $3,250 | +30.7% |
| 07921 | Bedminster | $3,000 | +20.7% |
| 07924 | Bernardsville | $2,790 | +12.2% |
| 07931 | Far Hills | $2,810 | +13.0% |
| 07934 | Gladstone | $2,530 | +1.8% |
| 07938 | Liberty Corner | $2,590 | +4.2% |
| 07939 | Lyons | $3,250 | +30.7% |
| 07977 | Peapack | $2,530 | +1.8% |
| 07978 | Pluckemin | $2,590 | +4.2% |
| 08502 | Belle Mead | $3,290 | +32.3% |
| 08504 | Blawenburg | $2,590 | +4.2% |
| 08528 | Kingston | $2,630 | +5.8% |
| 08553 | Rocky Hill | $2,240 | -9.9% |
| 08558 | Skillman | $2,530 | +1.8% |
| 08805 | Bound Brook | $2,400 | -3.5% |
| 08807 | Bridgewater | $2,720 | +9.4% |
| 08821 | Flagtown | $2,880 | +15.8% |
| 08823 | Franklin Park | $3,000 | +20.7% |
| 08835 | Manville | $2,380 | -4.3% |
| 08836 | Martinsville | $2,750 | +10.6% |
| 08844 | Hillsborough | $2,880 | +15.8% |
| 08853 | Neshanic Station | $2,500 | +0.6% |
| 08869 | Raritan | $2,550 | +2.6% |
| 08873 | Somerset | $2,660 | +7.0% |
| 08875 | Somerset | $2,590 | +4.2% |
| 08876 | Somerville | $2,370 | -4.7% |
| 08880 | South Bound Brook | $2,370 | -4.7% |
| 08890 | Zarephath | $2,530 | +1.8% |
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 Somerset 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
Middlesex County
$2,48613 mi · pop 860,147
Hunterdon County
$2,48615 mi · pop 129,099
Union County
$2,20517 mi · pop 572,079
Morris County
$2,20520 mi · pop 508,816
Mercer County
$1,95021 mi · pop 383,732
Essex County
$2,20525 mi · pop 853,374
Warren County
$1,89527 mi · pop 109,739
Hudson County
$2,76331 mi · pop 712,029
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 Somerset actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Somerset for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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