Rents are 4% below what New Brunswick'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 $2,820 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 New Brunswick usually run 1.3% below trend in March and 1.6% above it in September, about $82 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in New Brunswick is 0% below its high of $2,821 in August 2026, at $2,820 as of September 2026.
Rent in New Brunswick changed +2.8% 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 New Brunswick rose 29.2% while median household income rose 50.3% ($43,783 to $65,810). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in New Brunswick is 38% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($65,810) is $1,645 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,630); a 2-bedroom is $2,050.
Highland Park, 1 mile away, rents for 13% less ($2,447/mo), about $4,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for New Brunswick. 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
New Brunswick, NJ is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 23.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How New Brunswick, NJ has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in New Brunswick, NJ has climbed from $1,968 to $2,820, a 43.3% change over five years. On the earnings side, the typical household in New Brunswick, NJ now reports about $65,810, up from $49,338 in 2021. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has grown by 1.2% since 2021, moving from about 55,671 residents to roughly 56,345. Renters now make up 78.6% of households, compared with 80.2% five years ago. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and New Brunswick, NJ reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in New Brunswick on your salary?
At $2,820/mo, how New Brunswick rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
New Brunswick rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in New Brunswick. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in New Brunswick
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in New Brunswick is $2,820/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,450/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,050/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,630/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,490/mo.
At 51% of local median household income ($65,810/yr), New Brunswick ranks as expensive compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in New Brunswick?
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than New Brunswick?
At $2,820/mo, rent takes ~51% of New Brunswick's median household income ($65,810/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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