More than 46 percent of New Jersey mortgage holders and nearly half of all renters paid 30 percent or more of their monthly incomes on housing costs, 2007 census data show. Nationwide, only 37.5 percent of homeowners paid 30 percent or more of their income on mortgage and housing costs.

"Everybody has bills, everybody has mortgages ... and it seems like we're at the highest with taxes. We're at a breaking point in New Jersey," said Jerry Cantrell, president of the New Jersey Taxpayers' Association. "It has got to be turned around, or we're going to be headed in a spiraling fiscal mess."

While housing and rental costs in southern New Jersey were lower than in the rest of the state, area mortgage holders in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties still paid more in 2007 than most of the nation in monthly housing costs.

Those costs include mortgages payments, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property; real estate taxes; fire, hazard and flood insurance on the property; utilities; and heating fuel.

Here's a breakdown of median costs for mortgaged houses, according to a Press of Atlantic City analysis:

n In Atlantic County, the monthly housing cost was $1,810 in 2007, up 5.5 percent from 2006. The county's median housing cost was greater than in 42 states.

In Cape May County, the monthly housing cost was $1,749 in 2007, up 2.8 percent. The cost was greater than in 40 states.

In Ocean County, the monthly housing cost was $1,933 in 2007, up 3 percent. The cost was greater than in 45 states.

In Cumberland County, the monthly housing cost was $1,560 in 2007, up 10.5 percent. The cost was greater than in 34 states.

The rising costs to maintain a home in Cumberland County could be overwhelming for property owners. Data from the California-based tracking company RealtyTrac Inc. shows there were 99 foreclosures filings in the county in August, up from 27 filings a year prior.

Corretta Stringfield, a financial counselor with Tri-County Community Action Partnership, a Bridgeton agency that assists homeowners, said her clients often don't realize how much it costs each month to own a home.

"They think, 'I can afford this' because they are qualified, and then they find out down the line, 'Oh my goodness, this payment is more than I thought it would be," Stringfield said. "We make sure to drive home that the price in maintaining a home includes principal, interest, taxes and insurance. And while the prices of homes in New Jersey might be declining, the taxes aren't."

In the past two years, nonprofit action agency OCEAN Inc. has seen a 70 percent increase in its client base, said President and Chief Executive Ted Gooding. The agency gives financial assistance to Ocean County residents to purchase their first home or pay their utility bills, which is a common need among renters.

"We're up helping about 4,000 to 5,000 people from last year," Gooding said. "This year we might even break another record."

Housing costs appear just as strained in Cape May County, where the Ocean City metropolitan area was recently ranked among the least-affordable places in the nation to buy a home, according to a National Association of Home Builders study.

Thomas Henry, a Sea Isle City homeowner since 1968, said expenses outside of the housing costs are also to blame for hurting people's bottom line.

"A lot of people have moved out of Sea Isle City because they can't afford it anymore," said Henry, the president of the Sea Isle City Taxpayers Association. "People are moving to Delaware, the Carolinas. ... Fuel and utility costs are going sky high, and with the increase in taxes, it's another hit for many people."

Staff writer John Froonjian contributed to this report.

E-mail Erik Ortiz:

EOrtiz@pressofac.com