HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Somerset County, New Jersey (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Somerset 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
4th 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 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.
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 Somerset 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 Somerset, 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 Somerset in with 2 other counties in the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon metro, Middlesex County, Hunterdon County among them, and every one of them gets $2,623 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, Somerset ranks 4th 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 349,846 people live here, 13th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,390 in 08553 (Rocky Hill) and $3,390 in 07920 (Basking Ridge), 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 | $2,930 | +11.7% |
| 07920 | Basking Ridge | $3,390 | +29.2% |
| 07921 | Bedminster | $3,110 | +18.6% |
| 07924 | Bernardsville | $3,110 | +18.6% |
| 07931 | Far Hills | $2,980 | +13.6% |
| 07934 | Gladstone | $2,750 | +4.8% |
| 07938 | Liberty Corner | $2,750 | +4.8% |
| 07939 | Lyons | $3,390 | +29.2% |
| 07977 | Peapack | $2,750 | +4.8% |
| 07978 | Pluckemin | $2,750 | +4.8% |
| 08502 | Belle Mead | $3,370 | +28.5% |
| 08504 | Blawenburg | $2,750 | +4.8% |
| 08528 | Kingston | $2,890 | +10.2% |
| 08553 | Rocky Hill | $2,390 | -8.9% |
| 08558 | Skillman | $2,620 | -0.1% |
| 08805 | Bound Brook | $2,600 | -0.9% |
| 08807 | Bridgewater | $2,930 | +11.7% |
| 08821 | Flagtown | $3,080 | +17.4% |
| 08823 | Franklin Park | $3,180 | +21.2% |
| 08835 | Manville | $2,540 | -3.2% |
| 08836 | Martinsville | $2,910 | +10.9% |
| 08844 | Hillsborough | $3,080 | +17.4% |
| 08853 | Neshanic Station | $2,770 | +5.6% |
| 08869 | Raritan | $2,740 | +4.5% |
| 08873 | Somerset | $2,840 | +8.3% |
| 08875 | Somerset | $2,750 | +4.8% |
| 08876 | Somerville | $2,530 | -3.5% |
| 08880 | South Bound Brook | $2,460 | -6.2% |
| 08890 | Zarephath | $2,700 | +2.9% |
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 Somerset.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Somerset.
Middlesex County
13 mi · 871,290 people
$2,623
same rate
Hunterdon County
15 mi · 130,160 people
$2,623
same rate
Union County
17 mi · 579,290 people
$2,233
-15%
Morris County
20 mi · 514,528 people
$2,233
-15%
Mercer County
21 mi · 385,864 people
$2,242
-15%
Essex County
25 mi · 863,002 people
$2,233
-15%
Warren County
27 mi · 110,849 people
$2,021
-23%
Hudson County
31 mi · 718,323 people
$2,792
+6%
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 Somerset actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Somerset for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.