Rents are 3% below what Trenton'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 $2,030 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 Trenton usually run 0.4% below trend in February and 0.6% above it in July, about $20 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Trenton is 0.9% below its high of $2,048 in August 2026, at $2,030 as of September 2026.
Rent in Trenton changed +0.2% 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 Trenton rose 50.8% while median household income rose 48.4% ($35,402 to $52,537). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Trenton is 55.9% 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 ($52,537) is $1,313 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($1,412).
The priciest of 4 ZIP codes in Trenton, 08691 ($2,539/mo), costs 33% more than the cheapest, 08610 ($1,905/mo).
Morrisville, PA, 6 miles away, rents for 18% less ($1,660/mo), about $4,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Trenton. 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
Trenton, NJ is majority renter-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income below the national average, 16.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Trenton, NJ has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Trenton, NJ paid around $1,409 a month. That figure now sits near $2,030, up 44.1% from the 2021 baseline. Median household income climbed from $39,718 to $52,537 between 2021 and 2024, a 32.3% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Trenton, 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 $2,030/mo, how Trenton rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Trenton rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Trenton. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Trenton
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Trenton is $2,030/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,412/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,064/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,628/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,488/mo.
At 46% of local median household income ($52,537/yr), Trenton ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Trenton?
At $2,030/mo, rent takes ~46% of Trenton's median household income ($52,537/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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