County FMR · HUD FY2026

Somerset County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Somerset County, NJ - 106% above the US average.

$1,978
1-bedroom FMR
$2,486
2-bedroom FMR
+14.3%
YoY change
+106%
vs US avg

The verdict

Somerset is the 2nd most expensive of 21 counties in New Jersey by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 14.3% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#31
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#2
most expensive of 21 in New Jersey (2BR)
+12%
vs the state average
$79,120
income to afford it (30% rule)

General and Operations Managers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (15.8%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (71.3%); only 5 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.

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

Somerset County, New Jersey carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,978 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,486/mo and a studio is $1,804/mo. That's 106% above the national benchmark of $959 and 12% above the New Jersey average of $1,759.

Rent increased14.3% from FY 2025 ($1,731), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $79,120/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in New Jersey. Population: 344,978. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.9%, Census ACS). That's in line with New Jersey's statewide growth of +4.3% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area SOMERSET·COUNTY·NJ·NJ

Somerset County, NJ: $1,978/mo 1BR · #31 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA NJ
  • 1BR-FMR $1,978
  • 2BR-FMR $2,486
  • RANK-UPPER #31
  • YOY-SURGE +14.3%
  • VSUS-HIGH +106%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +12% NJ
  • INC-ROOM 17%
  • POP-MAJOR 345K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Bergen County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,780–$2,176
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Bergen ($46 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,599 · US avg: $893
$1,804/mo
↑ 17.1% YoY +13% vs state +102% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,759 · US avg: $959
$1,978/mo
↑ 14.3% YoY +12% vs state +106% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $2,132 · US avg: $1,175
$2,486/mo
↑ 14.2% YoY +17% vs state +112% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $2,658 · US avg: $1,525
$2,981/mo
↑ 13.7% YoY +12% vs state +95% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $3,005 · US avg: $1,756
$3,296/mo
↑ 14.2% YoY +10% vs state +88% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,540
$1,804
+$264 (+17.1%)
1 Bedroom $1,731
$1,978
+$247 (+14.3%)
2 Bedroom $2,176
$2,486
+$310 (+14.2%)
3 Bedroom $2,622
$2,981
+$359 (+13.7%)
4 Bedroom $2,885
$3,296
+$411 (+14.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
15.9%
Affordable
Need $72,160/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
17.5%
Affordable
Need $79,120/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
21.9%
Affordable
Need $99,440/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
26.3%
Affordable
Need $119,240/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
29.1%
Affordable
Need $131,840/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%21.9%
Somerset County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $135,960 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View New Jersey rent burden →

Where Somerset sits among every US county

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

$2,486 Top 1% higher than 99% 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%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Below this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Below this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Somerset compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other New Jersey counties

1BR FMR / mo

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

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 $1,978/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 15.8% Affordable
Software Developers $132,400 17.9% Affordable
Registered Nurses $102,730 23.1% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $101,340 23.4% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $89,030 26.7% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $77,150 30.8% Stretched
Electricians $73,090 32.5% Stretched
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $64,720 36.7% Stretched
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $62,790 37.8% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $46,740 50.8% Unaffordable
Pharmacy Technicians $38,890 61% Unaffordable
Janitors & Cleaners $37,320 63.6% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $35,620 66.6% Unaffordable
Retail Salespersons $35,630 66.6% Unaffordable
Fast Food & Counter Workers $33,290 71.3% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (New Jersey) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Somerset (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 43.1% overall, from $1,382 to $1,978. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 19.3% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$1,200$1,400$1,600$1,800$2,000$2,200 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,978
Somerset County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑14.3% $1,804 $1,978 $2,486
FY 2025 ↓4.2% $1,540 $1,731 $2,176
FY 2024 ↑19.3% $1,608 $1,807 $2,276
FY 2023 ↑4.1% $1,336 $1,515 $1,917
FY 2022 ↑6.1% $1,275 $1,455 $1,851
FY 2021 ↓0.8% $1,204 $1,371 $1,753
FY 2020 $1,193 $1,382 $1,770
Total change (6yr): +43.1%
Annualized: +6.2%/yr
1 BR: $1,382 → $1,978

Part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metro Area

Somerset County is a central county of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan statistical area, alongside 21 other metro-area counties.

Somerset County ranks #16 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), Hunterdon County ($1,978), Somerset County (this county) ($1,978), Monmouth County ($1,889), Ocean County ($1,889), Essex County ($1,822), Union County ($1,822), Morris County ($1,822), Sussex County ($1,822).

Kings County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Queens County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
New York County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Bronx County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Westchester County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Richmond County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Rockland County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Putnam County
1 BR: $2,655/mo
Hudson County
1 BR: $2,458/mo
Suffolk County
1 BR: $2,379/mo
Nassau County
1 BR: $2,379/mo
Bergen County
1 BR: $2,024/mo
Somerset County (this county)
1 BR: $1,978/mo
Show all 22 counties in this metro area
Passaic County
1 BR: $2,024/mo
Middlesex County
1 BR: $1,978/mo
Hunterdon County
1 BR: $1,978/mo
Monmouth County
1 BR: $1,889/mo
Ocean County
1 BR: $1,889/mo
Essex County
1 BR: $1,822/mo
Union County
1 BR: $1,822/mo
Morris County
1 BR: $1,822/mo
Sussex County
1 BR: $1,822/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Somerset County, both outside New Jersey so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.

Similar 2-bedroom FMR

Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside NJ (FY2026).

Kalawao County
HI · 2 BR $2,492/mo
King County
WA · 2 BR $2,501/mo
Snohomish County
WA · 2 BR $2,501/mo
Monroe County
FL · 2 BR $2,504/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NJ).

Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region
CT · 21.9% of income · 2 BR $1,601/mo
Tuscaloosa County
AL · 21.9% of income · 2 BR $1,169/mo
St. Mary Parish
LA · 22% of income · 2 BR $947/mo
Geary County
KS · 21.9% of income · 2 BR $1,048/mo

Nearby Counties in New Jersey

Largest counties by population in New Jersey

Showing the 8 largest of 20 other counties 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 Somerset County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Somerset County is $1,978 per month. A 2-bedroom is $2,486 and a studio is $1,804.
How does Somerset County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Somerset County is 106% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,978 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Somerset County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Somerset County's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,486 ranks #31 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 Somerset County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $79,120 ($6,593/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Somerset County.
Is rent going up or down in Somerset County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Somerset County increased by 14.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,731 to $1,978.
Which jobs can afford rent in Somerset 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 $1,978/mo. 5 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Somerset County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Somerset County went from $1,382 in FY 2020 to $1,978 in FY 2026, a total change of +43.1% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Somerset County? ▼
In Somerset County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,978/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 Somerset County? ▼
For Somerset County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,978/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.