Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Carolina instead of New Jersey, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years less
In New Jersey, the average life expectancy is 78 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In North Carolina, that number is 76 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
be 12.0% more likely to be obese
In New Jersey, 30.0% of adults are obese as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 33.6% of people as of 2022.
be 13.8% more likely to have diabetes
In New Jersey, 9.4% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 10.7% as of 2022.
Economy
be 24.4% less likely to be unemployed
In New Jersey, 4.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In North Carolina, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
make 16.2% less money
New Jersey has a GDP per capita of $70,788 as of 2024, while in North Carolina, the GDP per capita is $59,308 as of 2024.
be 30.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In New Jersey, 9.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In North Carolina, however, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.
Safety
be 75.8% 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 North Carolina, that number is 379 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 34.9% 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 North Carolina, that number is 1,998 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 39.3% less for a home
The median home value in New Jersey is $427,600 as of 2023, compared to $259,400 in North Carolina as of 2023.
pay 29.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in New Jersey is $1,653 as of 2023, while in North Carolina, it is $1,162 as of 2023.
earn 30.8% less money
The median household income in New Jersey is $101,050 as of 2023, while in North Carolina, it is $69,904 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 5.8 minutes less
The average one-way commute in New Jersey takes 30.9 minutes as of 2023. In North Carolina, it takes 25.1 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 82.3% less densely populated
New Jersey has a population density of 488.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 86.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 35.2% more likely to be uninsured
In New Jersey, 7.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In North Carolina, that number is 9.6% as of 2023.
be 22.7% more likely to smoke
In New Jersey, 11.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In North Carolina, that number is 14.6% as of 2022.
be 22.4% 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 North Carolina, that number is 22.5% as of 2023.
be 51.5% 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 North Carolina, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.
be 31.8% more likely to be food insecure
In New Jersey, 8.5% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Carolina, that number is 11.2% 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.
