Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of New Jersey, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In New Jersey, the average life expectancy is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In California, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 14.9% more likely to have diabetes
In New Jersey, 9.4% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 18.7% more money
New Jersey has a GDP per capita of $70,788 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 13.3% more likely to be unemployed
In New Jersey, 4.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 25.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In New Jersey, 9.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.3 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
New Jersey has a violent crime rate of 215 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 55.5% more likely to be a victim of property crime
New Jersey has a property crime rate of 1,481 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 62.6% more for a home
The median home value in New Jersey is $427,600 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 18.3% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in New Jersey is $1,653 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 12.4% less likely to own your home
In New Jersey, 63.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 1.9 minutes less
The average one-way commute in New Jersey takes 30.9 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 80.1% less densely populated
New Jersey has a population density of 488.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 23.2% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In New Jersey, 9.9% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 2.5 years older on average
The median age in New Jersey is 40.1 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
be 13.8% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In New Jersey, 29.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 22.4% more likely to be food insecure
In New Jersey, 8.5% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In California, that number is 10.4% as of 2021.
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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
