Rents are 9% below what East Orange's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,994 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in East Orange usually run 0.8% below trend in January and 0.7% above it in July, about $30 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in East Orange is 1% below its high of $2,014 in June 2026, at $1,994 as of September 2026.
Rent in East Orange changed -0.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 121 New Jersey cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.1%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in East Orange rose 36.6% while median household income rose 26.5% ($48,072 to $60,830). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in East Orange is 38.6% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has fallen 3 months in a row, and rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($60,830) is $1,521 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($1,360); a 1-bedroom is $1,555.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for East Orange. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
East Orange, NJ is majority renter-occupied, has a median income below the national average, 22.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How East Orange, NJ has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in East Orange, NJ has shifted from $1,574 to $1,994, up 26.7% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $54,520 to $60,830 between 2021 and 2024, a 11.6% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show East Orange, NJ adding about 1,172 residents over the five-year window, up 1.7% on net. The renter share has eased from 74.7% to 69%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Taken together, the five-year picture in East Orange, NJ reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,994/mo, how East Orange rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
East Orange rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in East Orange. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in East Orange
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in East Orange is $1,994/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,360/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,880/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,555/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,370/mo.
At 39% of local median household income ($60,830/yr), East Orange ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does East Orange rent compare to other cities in New Jersey?
At $1,994/mo, rent takes ~39% of East Orange's median household income ($60,830/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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