Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kentucky instead of New Jersey, you would:
Health
live 4.0 years less
In New Jersey, the average life expectancy is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Kentucky, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 27.3% more likely to be obese
In New Jersey, 30.0% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 38.2% of people as of 2022.
be 26.6% more likely to have diabetes
In New Jersey, 9.4% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 11.9% as of 2022.
Economy
be 22.2% less likely to be unemployed
In New Jersey, 4.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Kentucky, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
make 29.2% less money
New Jersey has a GDP per capita of $70,788 as of 2024, while in Kentucky, the GDP per capita is $50,135 as of 2024.
be 65.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In New Jersey, 9.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Kentucky, however, that number is 15.4% as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 55.0% less for a home
The median home value in New Jersey is $427,600 as of 2023, compared to $192,300 in Kentucky as of 2023.
pay 43.6% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in New Jersey is $1,653 as of 2023, while in Kentucky, it is $933 as of 2023.
earn 38.2% less money
The median household income in New Jersey is $101,050 as of 2023, while in Kentucky, it is $62,417 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 6.9 minutes less
The average one-way commute in New Jersey takes 30.9 minutes as of 2023. In Kentucky, it takes 24.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 19.7% less likely to be uninsured
In New Jersey, 7.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 5.7% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 90.9% less densely populated
New Jersey has a population density of 488.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 44.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 57.1% more likely to smoke
In New Jersey, 11.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 18.7% as of 2022.
be 10.7% more likely to be physically inactive
In New Jersey, 23.3% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Kentucky, that number is 25.8% as of 2022.
be 37.9% 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 Kentucky, that number is 18.0% as of 2023.
be 74.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In New Jersey, 9.9% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Kentucky, that number is 2.5% as of 2023.
be 48.2% more likely to be food insecure
In New Jersey, 8.5% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Kentucky, that number is 12.6% 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.
