Fair Market Rents: Essex County, NJ (FY2026)
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for Essex County set the ceiling for what Housing Choice Vouchers pay locally. FMR equals the estimated 40th-percentile gross rent — shelter plus utilities — for modest, non-luxury units.
| Unit size | FY2026 FMR | NJ median* |
|---|---|---|
| Studio (0-BR) | $1,612/mo | $1,612 (0%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,822/mo | $1,822 (0%) |
| 2 Bedrooms | $2,205/mo | $2,205 (0%) |
| 3 Bedrooms | $2,761/mo | $2,761 (0%) |
| 4+ Bedrooms | $3,137/mo | $3,137 (0%) |
*Median across all FMR-publishing counties in NJ. Source: HUD FY2026 FMR schedule.
Using FMR as a voucher holder in Essex County
- Your housing authority sets payment standards per bedroom, typically 90–110% of these figures. How payment standards work →
- You may rent above the standard by paying the difference, subject to a 40%-of-income cap at lease-up.
- In high-cost pockets, ask about exception standards or Small Area FMRs by ZIP code.
Subsidized housing in Essex County
We track 468 assisted properties countywide:
| City | Properties | Assisted units |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomfield | 5 | 204 |
| City of Orange | 17 | 690 |
| East Orange | 52 | 5,653 |
| Irvington | 16 | 1,583 |
| Maplewood | 4 | 122 |
| Montclair | 10 | 558 |
| Newark | 267 | 31,682 |
| Newark City | 21 | 2,618 |
| Nutley | 3 | 209 |
| Orange | 33 | 2,977 |
| Orange City | 10 | 523 |
| South Orange | 3 | 71 |
| Verona | 3 | 162 |
| West Orange | 10 | 754 |