Rents are right about where Fort Lee's 10-year trend predicts.
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 $3,792 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 Fort Lee usually run 1.6% below trend in January and 1.2% above it in August, about $106 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Fort Lee is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in February 2015.
Rent in Fort Lee changed +2.1% 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 Fort Lee rose 29% while median household income rose 28.1% ($83,767 to $107,274). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Fort Lee is 35.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($107,274) is $2,682 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,460); a 2-bedroom is $2,820.
Palisades Park, 1 mile away, rents for 12% less ($3,320/mo), about $5,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Fort Lee. 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
Fort Lee, NJ is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income above the national average, 65.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Fort Lee, NJ has changed in 5 years
Rent in Fort Lee, NJ has climbed 36.0% since 2021, going from about $2,788 per month to roughly $3,792 today. On the earnings side, the typical household in Fort Lee, NJ now reports about $107,274, up from $92,456 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 20.0 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. About 44.6% of households rent today, against 42% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 60.3% to 65.8%. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Fort Lee, NJ reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $3,792/mo, how Fort Lee rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Fort Lee rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Fort Lee. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Fort Lee
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Fort Lee is $3,792/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,120/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,820/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,460/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,470/mo.
At 42% of local median household income ($107,274/yr), Fort Lee ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Fort Lee?
At $3,792/mo, rent takes ~42% of Fort Lee's median household income ($107,274/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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