Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Jersey instead of Alaska, you would:
Health
live 0.9 years longer
In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In New Jersey, that number is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 10.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New Jersey, that number is 4.5% as of 2025.
Safety
be 70.2% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Alaska has a violent crime rate of 722 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Jersey, that number is 215 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 20.7% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Alaska has a property crime rate of 1,868 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Jersey, that number is 1,481 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 13.1% more money
The median household income in Alaska is $89,336 as of 2023, while in New Jersey, it is $101,050 as of 2023.
pay 28.3% more for a home
The median home value in Alaska is $333,300 as of 2023, compared to $427,600 in New Jersey as of 2023.
pay 19.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alaska is $1,388 as of 2023, while in New Jersey, it is $1,653 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 33.6% less likely to be uninsured
In Alaska, 10.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In New Jersey, that number is 7.1% as of 2023.
be 29.2% less likely to smoke
In Alaska, 16.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In New Jersey, that number is 11.9% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 4.5 years older on average
The median age in Alaska is 35.6 years as of 2023. In New Jersey, the median age is 40.1 years as of 2023.
be 40.1% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Alaska, 20.7% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In New Jersey, that number is 29.0% as of 2023.
be 3.3 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alaska, 3.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In New Jersey, that number is 9.9% as of 2023.
be 19.8% less likely to be food insecure
In Alaska, 10.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In New Jersey, that number is 8.5% as of 2021.
commute 11.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Alaska takes 19.5 minutes as of 2023. In New Jersey, it takes 30.9 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 976.4 times more densely populated
Alaska has a population density of 0.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In New Jersey, that number is 488.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
