County FMR · HUD FY2026
Essex County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Essex County, NJ - 90% above the US average.
- $1,822
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $2,205
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +3.1%
- YoY change
- +90%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Essex is the 10th cheapest of 21 counties in New Jersey by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #94 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #94
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #10
- cheapest of 21 in New Jersey (2BR)
- +4%
- vs the state average
- $72,880
- income to afford it (30% rule)
General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (14.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (65.7%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Essex County, NJ. Verify with HUD →
Essex County, New Jersey carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,822 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,205/mo and a studio is $1,612/mo. That's 90% above the national benchmark of $959 and 4% above the New Jersey average of $1,759.
Rent increased3.1% from FY 2025 ($1,768), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $72,880/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Jersey. Population: 853,374. Population grew 7.6% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than New Jersey's statewide growth of +4.3% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Essex 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, Essex County's 2-bedroom of $2,205 ranks #94 most expensive of 3,145 US counties, in the highest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
Essex County sits in the expensive tier: 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent is 90% above the US average of $959, and 4% above the New Jersey average of $1,759. Voucher payment standards and renter budgets both feel that premium. From FY 2025 to FY 2026 the 1-bedroom schedule moved $1,768 → $1,822 (+3.1%), widening an already-expensive gap versus national norms.
At $1,822/mo for a 1-bedroom, the 30% rule wants $72,880/year: still within reach of the county median income of $76,712, though a 2-bedroom at $2,205 raises the bar.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,551 | $1,612 | +$61 (+3.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,768 | $1,822 | +$54 (+3.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,140 | $2,205 | +$65 (+3.0%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,695 | $2,761 | +$66 (+2.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $3,065 | $3,137 | +$72 (+2.3%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Essex County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Essex sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$2,205 Top 3% higher than 97% of 3,145 counties
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 Essex compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other New Jersey counties
- Hudson
Hudson County
$2,458 1BR FMR / mo
- Bergen
Bergen County
$2,024 1BR FMR / mo
- Middlesex
Middlesex County
$1,978 1BR FMR / mo
- Monmouth
Monmouth County
$1,889 1BR FMR / mo
- Ocean
Ocean County
$1,889 1BR FMR / mo
- Essex
Essex County
$1,822 1BR FMR / mo
- Union
Union County
$1,822 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Essex 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 (this county) ($1,822), Union County ($1,822).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,822/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 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Software Developers | $132,400 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $102,730 | 21.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $101,340 | 21.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $89,030 | 24.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $77,150 | 28.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $73,090 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $64,720 | 33.8% | Stretched |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $62,790 | 34.8% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,740 | 46.8% | Stretched |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,890 | 56.2% | Unaffordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $37,320 | 58.6% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $35,620 | 61.4% | Unaffordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,630 | 61.4% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $33,290 | 65.7% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Essex County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Essex (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 49.6% overall, from $1,218 to $1,822. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 18.8% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑3.1% | $1,612 | $1,822 | $2,205 |
| FY 2025 ↑11.2% | $1,551 | $1,768 | $2,140 |
| FY 2024 ↑18.8% | $1,379 | $1,590 | $1,916 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.4% | $1,129 | $1,338 | $1,606 |
| FY 2022 ↓9.9% | $1,017 | $1,223 | $1,479 |
| FY 2021 ↑11.5% | $1,129 | $1,358 | $1,643 |
| FY 2020 | $1,034 | $1,218 | $1,483 |
Part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metro Area
Essex County is a central county of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan statistical area, alongside 21 other metro-area counties.
Essex County ranks #22 of 22 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Kings County ($2,655), Queens County ($2,655), New York County ($2,655), Bronx County ($2,655), Westchester County ($2,655), Richmond County ($2,655), Rockland County ($2,655), Putnam County ($2,655), Hudson County ($2,458), Suffolk County ($2,379), Nassau County ($2,379), Bergen County ($2,024), Passaic County ($2,024), Middlesex County ($1,978), Somerset County ($1,978), Hunterdon County ($1,978), Monmouth County ($1,889), Ocean County ($1,889), Union County ($1,822), Morris County ($1,822), Sussex County ($1,822), Essex County (this county) ($1,822).
Show all 22 counties in this metro area
Nearby Counties in New Jersey
Largest counties by population in New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Essex County? ▼
How does Essex County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Essex County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Essex County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Essex County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Essex County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Essex County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Essex County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Essex County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Essex'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 $1,822 implies about $72,880/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 Essex 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.
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.