Rents are right about where Jersey City'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 $3,101 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
February. Asking rents in Jersey City usually run 1% below trend in February and 1% above it in August, about $62 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Jersey City is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Jersey City changed +3.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 121 New Jersey cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.1%.
Rent in Jersey City is 34.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 25 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($97,710) is $2,443 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,250); a 2-bedroom is $2,550.
The priciest of 6 ZIP codes in Jersey City, 07310 ($4,429/mo), costs 1.9 times the cheapest, 07305 ($2,314/mo).
Union City, 3 miles away, rents for 24% less ($2,343/mo), about $9,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Jersey City. 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
Jersey City, NJ is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 54.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Jersey City, NJ has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Jersey City, NJ has shifted from $2,170 to $3,101, up 42.9% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $97,710 today, compared with $81,390 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Jersey City, NJ adding about 6,932 residents over the five-year window, up 2.4% on net. The renter share has risen from 70.4% to 72.1%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 51.1% to 54.8% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Jersey City on your salary?
At $3,101/mo, how Jersey City rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Jersey City rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Jersey City. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Jersey City
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Jersey City is $3,101/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,217/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,550/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,250/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,147/mo.
At 38% of local median household income ($97,710/yr), Jersey City ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Jersey City?
At $3,101/mo, rent takes ~38% of Jersey City's median household income ($97,710/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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