County FMR · HUD FY2026

Cape May County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Cape May County, NJ - 42% above the US average.

$1,366
1-bedroom FMR
$1,792
2-bedroom FMR
+12.6%
YoY change
+42%
vs US avg

The verdict

Cape May is the 2nd cheapest of 21 counties in New Jersey by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #220 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 12.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#220
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#2
cheapest of 21 in New Jersey (2BR)
-22%
vs the state average
$54,640
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (10.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (49.2%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Cape May County, NJ. Verify with HUD →

Cape May County, New Jersey carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,366 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,792/mo and a studio is $1,320/mo. That's 42% above the national benchmark of $959 and 22% below the New Jersey average of $1,759.

Rent increased12.6% from FY 2025 ($1,213), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $54,640/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Jersey. Population: 95,456. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.6%, Census ACS). That's slower than New Jersey's statewide growth of +4.3% over the same period.

What these rents mean for Cape May County

HUD publishes one FMR schedule per FMR area (often the county). Local housing authorities use it as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment-standard baseline. See how FMR is calculated.

According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Cape May County's 2-bedroom of $1,792 ranks #220 most expensive of 3,145 US counties, in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.

Rents run meaningfully above the national benchmark: 1-bedroom FMR is 42% higher than the US average of $959 (22% below New Jersey's $1,759). From FY 2025 to FY 2026 the 1-bedroom schedule moved $1,213 → $1,366 (+12.6%), widening an already-expensive gap versus national norms.

At $1,366/mo for a 1-bedroom, the 30% rule wants $54,640/year: still within reach of the county median income of $88,046, though a 2-bedroom at $1,792 raises the bar.

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,599 · US avg: $893
$1,320/mo
↑ 10.7% YoY -17% vs state +48% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,759 · US avg: $959
$1,366/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY -22% vs state +42% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $2,132 · US avg: $1,175
$1,792/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY -16% vs state +53% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $2,658 · US avg: $1,525
$2,396/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY -10% vs state +57% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $3,005 · US avg: $1,756
$2,405/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY -20% vs state +37% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,192
$1,320
+$128 (+10.7%)
1 Bedroom $1,213
$1,366
+$153 (+12.6%)
2 Bedroom $1,591
$1,792
+$201 (+12.6%)
3 Bedroom $2,127
$2,396
+$269 (+12.6%)
4 Bedroom $2,135
$2,405
+$270 (+12.6%)

Affordability Snapshot

Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:

Required annual income for 1 BR
$54,640
$4,553/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$71,680
$5,973/month gross

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Cape May County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
18%
Affordable
Need $52,800/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
18.6%
Affordable
Need $54,640/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
24.4%
Affordable
Need $71,680/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
32.7%
Burdened
Need $95,840/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
32.8%
Burdened
Need $96,200/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

0%100%National avg22%24.4%
Cape May County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $88,046 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New Jersey rent burden →

Where Cape May sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,792 Top 7% higher than 93% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Cape May compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New Jersey counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Cape May is highlighted. Nearby New Jersey counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Hudson County ($2,458), Bergen County ($2,024), Middlesex County ($1,978), Monmouth County ($1,889), Ocean County ($1,889), Essex County ($1,822), Cape May County (this county) ($1,366).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,366/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using New Jersey BLS wages?

Occupation NJ Salary Rent Burden Verdict
General & Operations Managers $149,990 10.9% Affordable
Software Developers $132,400 12.4% Affordable
Registered Nurses $102,730 16% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $101,340 16.2% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $89,030 18.4% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $77,150 21.2% Affordable
Electricians $73,090 22.4% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $64,720 25.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $62,790 26.1% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $46,740 35.1% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $38,890 42.1% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $37,320 43.9% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $35,620 46% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $35,630 46% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $33,290 49.2% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (New Jersey) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Cape May County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Cape May (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 35.0% overall, from $1,012 to $1,366. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +12.6% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,366
Cape May County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑12.6% $1,320 $1,366 $1,792
FY 2025 ↑1.6% $1,192 $1,213 $1,591
FY 2024 ↑1.4% $1,107 $1,194 $1,569
FY 2023 ↑5.8% $1,046 $1,178 $1,551
FY 2022 ↑4.1% $973 $1,113 $1,465
FY 2021 ↑5.6% $898 $1,069 $1,361
FY 2020 $814 $1,012 $1,250
Total change (6yr): +35.0%
Annualized: +5.1%/yr
1 BR: $1,012 → $1,366

Part of the Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ Metro Area

Cape May County is a central county of the Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.

Cape May County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Atlantic County ($1,537), Cape May County (this county) ($1,366).

Atlantic County
1 BR: $1,537/mo
Cape May County (this county)
1 BR: $1,366/mo

Nearby Counties in New Jersey

Largest counties by population in New Jersey

Bergen County
1 BR: $2,024/mo Pop: 953,243
Middlesex County
1 BR: $1,978/mo Pop: 860,147
Essex County
1 BR: $1,822/mo Pop: 853,374
Hudson County
1 BR: $2,458/mo Pop: 712,029
Monmouth County
1 BR: $1,889/mo Pop: 643,064
Ocean County
1 BR: $1,889/mo Pop: 638,691
Union County
1 BR: $1,822/mo Pop: 572,079
Camden County
1 BR: $1,520/mo Pop: 522,581
View all counties in New Jersey →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Cape May County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Cape May County is $1,366 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,792 and a studio is $1,320.
How does Cape May County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Cape May County is 42% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,366 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Cape May County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Cape May County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,792 ranks #220 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Cape May County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $54,640 ($4,553/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Cape May County.
Is rent going up or down in Cape May County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cape May County increased by 12.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,213 to $1,366.
Which jobs can afford rent in Cape May County? ▼
Based on New Jersey BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like General and Operations Managers, Software Developers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,366/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Cape May County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Cape May County went from $1,012 in FY 2020 to $1,366 in FY 2026, a total change of +35.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Cape May County? ▼
In Cape May County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,366/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Cape May County? ▼
For Cape May County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,366/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

What this means for renters

Treat Cape May's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,366 implies about $54,640/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
  • See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Cape May can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.