Nearly 38 percent of Ocean County residents paid at least half of their income on rent

Nearly 38 percent of Ocean County residents paid at least half of their income on rent and utilities. The figures might have been influenced by superstorm Sandy, which damaged about 10 percent of Ocean County's housing supply and increased the demand for rentals. Nearly one in three renters in New Jersey pay at least half of their income on rent, the second highest rate nationwide,
according to a report released Monday.
As a result, New Jerseyans have to piece together jobs, cut back on other household necessities and frequently have to pick up and move, according to Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing advocate based in Columbia, Maryland.

The five counties with the highest rate of residents who spend at least 50 percent of their household income on rent:

1. Passaic County: 38.7 percent

2. Ocean County: 37.7 percent

3. Camden County: 35.8 percent

4. Cumberland/Salem counties: 35 percent

5. Warren County: 31.9 percent

The five counties with the lowest rate of residents who spend at least 50 percent of their household income on rent:

1. Morris County: 20.3 percent

2. Hunterdon County: 21.5 percent

3. Somerset County: 24.9 percent

4. Burlington County: 25.2 percent

5. Sussex County: 26.2 percent

BEST AND WORST IN THE NATION

The five states with the highest rate of residents who spend at least 50 percent of their household income on rent:

1. Florida: 30.3 percent

2. New Jersey: 30.1 percent

3. (tie) California and New York: 30 percent

5. Louisiana: 29.3 percent

The five states with the lowest rate of residents who spend at least 50 percent of their household income on rent:

1.Wyoming: 17.1 percent

2. Alaska: 17.2 percent

3. South Dakota: 18.3 percent

4. North Dakota: 20.3 percent

5. Kansas: 20.8 percent