Moving to New Jersey from Connecticut
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Connecticut to New Jersey — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Connecticut to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 0.3% more expensive than Connecticut. A $75,000 salary in Connecticut would need to be roughly $75,200 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Connecticut to New Jersey.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,200
To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 15.2% less
Groceries
pay 2.2% more
Transportation
pay 17.4% more
Housing
pay 4.5% less
Childcare
pay 12.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.6% more
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 by city
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%).
On average, cities in New Jersey cost about 8% more than cities in Connecticut.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Connecticut to New Jersey.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Connecticut generally does better on safety, though New Jersey leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Connecticut generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Connecticut performs better than New Jersey across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Connecticut generally does better on infrastructure, though New Jersey leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
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
Connecticut generally does better on employment & economy, though New Jersey leads in median household income.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Connecticut generally does better on family life, though New Jersey leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | New Haven | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/50°F (20°/10°C) | 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | New Haven | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/22°F (3.2°/-5.4°C) | 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/25°F (4.7°/-3.9°C) | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) |
| Mar | 48°/31°F (8.7°/-0.4°C) | 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) |
| Apr | 58°/40°F (14.6°/4.6°C) | 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) |
| May | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) | 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (25.2°/15.4°C) | 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.1°/18.6°C) | 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) |
| Aug | 81°/65°F (27.2°/18.3°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.4°C) | 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) |
| Oct | 63°/45°F (17.4°/7.2°C) | 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 53°/37°F (11.9°/2.6°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) |
| Dec | 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.0°C) | 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Jersey than Connecticut?
Costs in New Jersey and Connecticut are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to New Jersey?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,800 in New Jersey on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is New Jersey safe?
Connecticut generally does better on safety, though New Jersey leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to Connecticut?
Connecticut generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in New Jersey compared to Connecticut?
The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 61°F in New Haven. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while New Haven gets 47.1 in.
