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City · 12,771 residents · Middlesex County, New Jersey

Fords , New Jersey

In Fords, a typical home is worth $438,000 and typical rent is $1,913 a month. Compared with all of Middlesex County, the typical home value is 5% lower and the share of households that own their home is 8 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $438,000

    5% below the county

    4% below New Jersey

    • Fords
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

  • Typical rent

    $1,913a month

    2% above the county

    11% above New Jersey

    • Fords
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

  • Typical household income

    $115,861a year

    4% above the county

    12% above New Jersey

    • Fords
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

  • Households that own their home

    72%

    8 points above the county

    8 points above New Jersey

    • Fords
    • Middlesex
    • New Jersey

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$529,468
4.1% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Fords is in Middlesex County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Middlesex County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Fords apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Perth Amboy, the typical home value is $370,600: 15% less than in Fords ($438,000).

  2. 72% of households in Fords own their home, against 64% in Middlesex County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Fords

What homes there are in Fords, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 69% of homes here, against 52% in Middlesex County.

Year built

In Fords, half of the homes were built before 1957; in Middlesex County, before 1974.

Homes in Fords are bigger: 63% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Middlesex County, 56%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,876 a month

Middlesex County: $2,877 a month

Without a mortgage

$1,287 a month

Middlesex County: $1,242 a month

Owners with a mortgage

68%

Middlesex County: 63%

Owning costs about the same in Fords as in Middlesex County: with a mortgage, $2,876 a month; without one, $1,287.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The boundaries of Fords changed since 2015–2019, so the Census does not compare its figures from then and now. In Middlesex County, the typical home value rose 35%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureFordsMiddlesex CountyNew JerseyUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.4%3.5%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.4%0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate5.5%4.0%3.4%
People per household 2.692.752.622.53
Drive alone 69%61%62%69%
Carpool 11%8%8%9%
Public transit 5%6%8%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home 13%18%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate4%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in Fords look like those in Middlesex County: 2.69 people on average.

To get to work, 69% of workers in Fords drive alone; in Middlesex County, 61%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Fords?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Fords, worth $438,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 43% of the typical household income in Fords, which is $115,861 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $176,651 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Middlesex County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Fords. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $15,330 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$4,122

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$430,067
Total interest
$618,765
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $7,397 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,703 a month

  • Tight

    $2,703 to $3,476 a month

  • Hard

    more than $3,476 a month

    Your payment · 43%

Compared with the typical household income in Fords ($115,861 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$4,122
Principal & interest$2,913
Property tax$832
Home insurance$183
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$194

You need at least $15,330 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Fords and Middlesex County

Fords is in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Fords's own numbers

Typical home value
$438,000
Typical monthly rent
$1,913
Typical yearly household income
$115,861
Households that own their home
72%
Effective property tax rate
2.28%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Middlesex County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,209,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,623
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+62%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.1%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Middlesex County.

Everything about Middlesex County

Buying

Buying a home in Fords

A typical home in Fords is worth $438,000: 5% below the county and 4% below New Jersey. With the typical household income in Fords ($115,861 a year), a typical home costs 3.8 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Fords 3.8 years
  • Middlesex 4.1 years
  • New Jersey 4.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Middlesex County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Middlesex County rose 89% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Middlesex County.

Period County New Jersey U.S.
Last year (2025) +6.1% +6.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +62% +63% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +89% +88% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Fords next to Middlesex County, New Jersey and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Fords $438,000
  • Middlesex $462,900
  • New Jersey $454,400
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Fords $1,913
  • Middlesex $1,871
  • New Jersey $1,720
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Fords $115,861
  • Middlesex $111,549
  • New Jersey $103,556
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Fords next to Middlesex County and New Jersey
Measure Fords Middlesex County New Jersey U.S.
Typical home value $438,000 $462,900 $454,400 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,913 $1,871 $1,720 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $115,861 $111,549 $103,556 $80,734
Households that own their home 72% 64% 64% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $10,001 $9,712 $9,590 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 2.28% 2.1% 2.11% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 45% 48% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Middlesex County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Fords

For a typical $438,000 home in Fords, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Fords's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $4,122a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $15,330
    Cash to close
    $28,470
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $194

  • Conventional, 5% down $4,042a month

    Down payment
    $21,900
    Cash to close
    $35,040
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $208

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,388a month

    Down payment
    $87,600
    Cash to close
    $100,740
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,793a month

    Down payment
    $65,700
    Cash to close
    $78,840
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Fords and for Middlesex County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Fords

2.28%of the home’s value each year

$10,001 a year for the typical owner in Fords.

  • Fords 2.28%
  • Middlesex 2.1%
  • New Jersey 2.11%

What New Jersey publishes ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ: one combined application (New Jersey Division of Taxation)

Exemptions and deadlines in New Jersey

Flood risk in Middlesex County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Middlesex County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.1%
2,391
Of those, with NFIP insurance
54%
County New Jersey U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.1% 6.7% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 54% 63% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Fords

Typical rent in Fords is $1,913 a month: 2% above the county. In Fords, 45% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Middlesex County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,623 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $50.44 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Middlesex County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,953 $37.56 $78,120
1 bedroom $2,103 $40.44 $84,120
2 bedrooms $2,623 $50.44 $104,920
3 bedrooms $3,125 $60.10 $125,000
4 bedrooms $3,508 $67.46 $140,320

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Fords

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Fords is in ZIP code 08863.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,740: $117 more than the fair market rent for Middlesex County ($2,623).

  • 08863 $2,740$3,260

A ZIP code counts for Fords when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Fords

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Middlesex County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Fords

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Fords or Middlesex County. The ones below are statewide in New Jersey: they work in Fords the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in New Jersey

Housing counselors near Fords

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Fords, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • The Housing Authority of the City of Perth Amboy

    881 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy · 2 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    732-826-3110-631

  • Puerto Rican Association for Human Development, Inc.

    100 1st St, Perth Amboy · 3 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 6 more
    (732) 638-2824

  • NEIGHBORHOODS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE fka NHS of Staten Island

    1120 E Saint Georges Ave, Linden · 8 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 3 more
    (908) 808-4035

Every agency in Middlesex County All counseling agencies in New Jersey

Help in Spanish near Fords

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Fords

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Middlesex County is named for Fords or Middlesex County.

9 other authorities have an office in Middlesex County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Middlesex County

These cities are also in Middlesex County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Middlesex County Housing in New Jersey
See 15 more cities in Middlesex County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Fords, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Middlesex County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Fords.

All guides
A man and two girls read a book together on the sofa.

Questions

Housing questions about Fords

Short answers with the numbers for Fords and all of Middlesex County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Fords?

The typical home value in Fords is $438,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Middlesex County it is $462,900.

How much does it cost to rent in Fords?

Typical rent in Fords is $1,913 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Middlesex County is $2,623.

What is the FHA loan limit in Fords?

Fords uses the FHA limit for all of Middlesex County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Fords?

The typical homeowner in Fords pays $10,001 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.28% of the home’s value; in Middlesex County, the rate is 2.1%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Fords?

There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Middlesex County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).