Moving to New Jersey from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to New Jersey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 3.1% more expensive than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $74,415 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Trenton averages 63°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to New Jersey. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $74,415 To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 5.3% less Groceries pay 7.4% more Transportation pay 13.1% more Housing pay 11.6% less Childcare pay 6.9% more Entertainment and Sports pay 1.3% less Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%). Compare cities head-to-head How California and New Jersey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year New Jersey performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in diabetes rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied New Jersey performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work California performs better than New Jersey across all infrastructure metrics. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person typical annual income of a household share of people below the poverty line New Jersey generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree California generally does better on family life, though New Jersey leads in bachelor's degree or higher. Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Headline costs are within a few percent between New Jersey and California; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,604 in New Jersey for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. New Jersey performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in diabetes rate. The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Sacramento Trenton Jan–Mar 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) Apr–Jun 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) Jul–Sep 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) Oct–Dec 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) View all months
Month Sacramento Trenton Jan 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) Feb 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) Mar 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) Apr 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) May 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) Jun 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) Jul 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) Aug 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) Sep 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) Oct 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) Nov 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) Dec 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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