Moving to New Jersey from District of Columbia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from District of Columbia to New Jersey — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from District of Columbia to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 14.1% cheaper than District of Columbia. A $75,000 salary in District of Columbia would need to be roughly $64,400 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from District of Columbia to New Jersey.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $64,400
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 19.6% less
Groceries
pay 7.4% less
Transportation
pay 4.7% less
Housing
pay 14.6% less
Childcare
pay 40.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.2% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from District of Columbia to New Jersey.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
New Jersey performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
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
District of Columbia performs better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New Jersey performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
District of Columbia 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
District of Columbia generally does better on employment & economy, though New Jersey leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
District of Columbia performs better than New Jersey across all family life metrics.
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)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°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 District of Columbia?
Yes — New Jersey is on average about 14% cheaper than District of Columbia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to New Jersey?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,100 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?
New Jersey performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to District of Columbia?
District of Columbia performs better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New Jersey compared to District of Columbia?
The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
