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Most Affordable Counties in New Jersey

Ranked by the share of New Jersey occupations whose take-home pay covers a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline.

Most affordable counties in New Jersey
#CountyJobs covering basicsJobs listed1-bedroom rentMedian household incomeRent / income
1Ocean County, NJ100%237$1,847/mo$89,86324.7%
2Monmouth County, NJ100%237$1,847/mo$124,84517.8%
3Essex County, NJ100%237$1,850/mo$80,78927.5%
4Union County, NJ100%237$1,850/mo$103,20221.5%
5Morris County, NJ100%237$1,850/mo$137,32616.2%
6Sussex County, NJ100%237$1,850/mo$116,18619.1%
7Camden County, NJ99%98$1,558/mo$88,75521.1%
8Burlington County, NJ99%98$1,558/mo$108,11117.3%
9Gloucester County, NJ99%98$1,558/mo$105,11517.8%
10Salem County, NJ99%98$1,558/mo$79,96023.4%
11Bergen County, NJ94%237$1,987/mo$124,88419.1%
12Passaic County, NJ94%237$1,987/mo$87,52227.2%
13Middlesex County, NJ89%237$2,103/mo$111,54922.6%
14Somerset County, NJ89%237$2,103/mo$140,37418.0%
15Hunterdon County, NJ89%237$2,103/mo$141,71517.8%
16Hudson County, NJ81%237$2,514/mo$91,79532.9%

Most affordable counties in New Jersey

We ranked 16 New Jersey counties that have at least 20 occupations published on this site. The ranking measures how many of those occupations pay enough, at the local median wage, to cover a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline after federal, Social Security, Medicare and state taxes. Ocean County, NJ leads: 100% of its 237 occupations clear that bar, with a HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,847 a month.

Ties are broken by the lower one-bedroom rent, then by population. Where the Census Bureau publishes it, the table also shows median household income (American Community Survey 2020-2024) and what a year of one-bedroom rent equals as a share of it. Open a county to see every occupation and its take-home pay.