Metro FMR · CBSA 45940 · HUD FY2026

Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA metro area - 61% above the US average.

$1,545
1-bedroom FMR
$1,950
2-bedroom FMR
-3.7%
YoY change
+61%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA area rents at $1,950 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 66% above the US average, higher than 90% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#39
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+66%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$78,000
income to afford it (30% rule)
-3.7%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Trenton-Princeton: #39 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $96,333, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 19.2% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Trenton-Princeton in the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 383,732 residents, this is a mid-sized metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

That budget pressure matches a top-decile 2-bedroom FMR nationally (#39 of 387 HUD-tracked metros).

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

Observed renter burden: 48.1% of the 53,910 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,344/mo

16.7% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,545/mo

19.2% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,950/mo

24.3% of median income

3 Bedroom

$2,338/mo

29.1% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,670/mo

33.3% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·45940

Trenton-Princeton: $1,545/mo 1BR · #39 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 45940

  • CBSA 45940
  • 1BR-FMR $1,545
  • 2BR-FMR $1,950
  • RANK-UPPER #39
  • YOY-DOWN -3.7%
  • VSUS-HIGH +61%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #4 NJ
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-MAJOR 384K
  • PHOTO-FINISH Atlantic City-Hamm
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,391–$1,700
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Atlantic City-Hammonton ($8 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Trenton-Princeton sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,950 Top 10% higher than 90% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Below this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). This entry sits in this band. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

Trenton-Princeton studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #39 nationally

1BR $1,545 (+61% vs US, -3.7% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 45940.

Studio
$1,344
US avg $893
↓3.4% YoY +51% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,545
US avg $959
↓3.7% YoY +61% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,950
US avg $1,175
↓3.8% YoY +66% vs US
3 Bedroom
$2,338
US avg $1,525
↓4.3% YoY +53% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,670
US avg $1,756
↓2.8% YoY +52% vs US

How Trenton-Princeton compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other NJ metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Trenton-Princeton highlighted among 4 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Trenton-Princeton: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Trenton-Princeton with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside NJ (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside NJ

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota
FL · 2 BR $1,958/mo
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
WA · 2 BR $1,960/mo
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
FL · 2 BR $1,961/mo
Dallas
TX · 2 BR $1,931/mo

Burden % · outside NJ

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Chattanooga
TN · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,390/mo
El Paso
TX · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,191/mo
Elmira
NY · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,283/mo
Reading
PA · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,575/mo

Trenton-Princeton: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA is $1,545 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,950 and a studio is $1,344.
How does Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA metro area is 61% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,545 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Trenton-Princeton rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,950 ranks #39 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the highest-rent tenth of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $61,800 ($5,150/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA area.

Compare Trenton-Princeton vs Atlantic City-Hammonton →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,545/mo · 1BR NJ

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.