State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS
New Jersey: County Rent Burden
How much of household income goes to rent in each New Jersey county, FY 2026.
- 26.1%
- State avg 2BR burden
- 5
- Counties over 30% (of 21)
- 0
- Severely burdened (>50%)
What rent burden reveals about New Jersey
Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in New Jersey. Across the 21 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 26.1%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning New Jersey sits 4.4 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.
The distribution matters more than the state average. In New Jersey, 5 of 21 counties (24%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Hudson County at 36.8%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,763 eats that share of the local median income of $90,032. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.
Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which New Jersey counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between New Jersey and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.
All Counties by Rent Burden
| # | County | 1 BR Rent | 2 BR Rent | 1 BR Burden | 2 BR Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hudson County | $2,458 | $2,763 | 32.8% | 36.8% |
| 2 | Essex County | $1,822 | $2,205 | 28.5% | 34.5% |
| 3 | Ocean County | $1,889 | $2,328 | 26.2% | 32.3% |
| 4 | Passaic County | $2,024 | $2,324 | 27.9% | 32% |
| 5 | Cumberland County | $1,375 | $1,673 | 25.6% | 31.1% |
| 6 | Atlantic County | $1,537 | $1,867 | 24% | 29.2% |
| 7 | Salem County | $1,520 | $1,810 | 23.3% | 27.7% |
| 8 | Middlesex County | $1,978 | $2,486 | 21.8% | 27.4% |
| 9 | Union County | $1,822 | $2,205 | 21.8% | 26.4% |
| 10 | Camden County | $1,520 | $1,810 | 21.1% | 25.1% |
| 11 | Cape May County | $1,366 | $1,792 | 18.6% | 24.4% |
| 12 | Mercer County | $1,545 | $1,950 | 19.2% | 24.3% |
| 13 | Sussex County | $1,822 | $2,205 | 19.1% | 23.1% |
| 14 | Monmouth County | $1,889 | $2,328 | 18.5% | 22.8% |
| 15 | Warren County | $1,527 | $1,895 | 18.4% | 22.8% |
| 16 | Bergen County | $2,024 | $2,324 | 19.6% | 22.5% |
| 17 | Somerset County | $1,978 | $2,486 | 17.5% | 21.9% |
| 18 | Hunterdon County | $1,978 | $2,486 | 17% | 21.4% |
| 19 | Gloucester County | $1,520 | $1,810 | 17.7% | 21.1% |
| 20 | Burlington County | $1,520 | $1,810 | 17.3% | 20.6% |
| 21 | Morris County | $1,822 | $2,205 | 16.2% | 19.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the rent burden in New Jersey? ▼
Which counties in New Jersey are most rent burdened? ▼
How does New Jersey compare to the national average? ▼
Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.