Rents are 5% below what Harrison'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 $2,663 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
March. Asking rents in Harrison usually run 1.1% below trend in March and 1.2% above it in August, about $61 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in Harrison is 0.1% below its high of $2,667 in August 2026, at $2,663 as of September 2026.
Rent in Harrison changed +1.4% 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 Harrison rose 21.5% while median household income rose 33.6% ($69,604 to $93,013). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Harrison is 22.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($93,013) is $2,325 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,070); a 3-bedroom is $2,570.
Newark, 2 miles away, rents for 21% less ($2,111/mo), about $6,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Harrison. 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
Harrison, NJ is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 50.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Harrison, NJ has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Harrison, NJ has climbed by $617 per month, settling near $2,663 after starting the period at $2,046. Household income in the area moved from $68,494 to $93,013 across the same window, up 35.8% versus 2021. Income growth outran rent by about 5.6 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 18,824 to 20,369 between 2021 and 2024, a 8.2% change. About 78.9% of households rent today, against 76.6% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 42.9% to 50.7%. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Harrison, NJ look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Harrison on your salary?
At $2,663/mo, how Harrison rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Harrison rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Harrison. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Harrison
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Harrison is $2,663/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,800/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,070/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,830/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,570/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($93,013/yr), Harrison ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Harrison?
At $2,663/mo, rent takes ~34% of Harrison's median household income ($93,013/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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