Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Pennsylvania instead of New Jersey, you would:
Health
be 14.7% more likely to be obese
In New Jersey, 30.0% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Pennsylvania, that number is 34.4% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 17.8% less likely to be unemployed
In New Jersey, 4.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Pennsylvania, that number is 3.7% as of 2025.
be 21.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In New Jersey, 9.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, however, that number is 11.3% as of 2023.
make 13.1% less money
New Jersey has a GDP per capita of $70,788 as of 2024, while in Pennsylvania, the GDP per capita is $61,506 as of 2024.
Safety
be 22.7% 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 Pennsylvania, that number is 264 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 43.8% less for a home
The median home value in New Jersey is $427,600 as of 2023, compared to $240,500 in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, it is $1,162 as of 2023.
earn 24.7% less money
The median household income in New Jersey is $101,050 as of 2023, while in Pennsylvania, it is $76,081 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 4.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in New Jersey takes 30.9 minutes as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, it takes 26.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 22.5% less likely to be uninsured
In New Jersey, 7.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 77.0% less densely populated
New Jersey has a population density of 488.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Pennsylvania, that number is 112.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 41.2% more likely to smoke
In New Jersey, 11.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Pennsylvania, that number is 16.8% as of 2022.
be 16.6% 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 Pennsylvania, that number is 24.2% as of 2023.
be 66.7% 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 Pennsylvania, that number is 3.3% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023). How we calculate this
