Moving to New Jersey from Massachusetts

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Massachusetts to New Jersey? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Massachusetts to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 6.1% more expensive than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $76,247 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Massachusetts and New Jersey.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $76,247

To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.3% less

Groceries

pay 11.8% more

Transportation

pay 20.9% more

Housing

pay 6.9% less

Childcare

pay 0.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 1.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 3% more than cities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts

New Jersey

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in New Jersey compared to Massachusetts.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MA
308
NJ
215
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MA
1077
NJ
1481

Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though New Jersey leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MA
2.6%
NJ
7.1%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MA
28.8%
NJ
30.0%

Massachusetts generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MA
$525,800
NJ
$427,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MA
$1,687
NJ
$1,653

New Jersey performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MA
91.9%
NJ
91.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MA
29 min
NJ
31 min

Massachusetts performs better than New Jersey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MA
4.7%
NJ
4.5%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MA
$87,892
NJ
$70,788

Massachusetts generally does better on employment & economy, though New Jersey leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MA
79.0 yrs
NJ
77.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MA
32%
NJ
29%

Massachusetts 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.

BostonRain: 43.8 in/yr (1112 mm)
59°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

TrentonRain: 46.5 in/yr (1180 mm)
63°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsBostonTrenton
Jan–Mar40°/26°F (4°/-3°C)44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun66°/50°F (19°/10°C)71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep78°/62°F (25°/17°C)82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec51°/38°F (11°/3°C)54°/36°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
MonthBostonTrenton
Jan36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C)39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)
Feb39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C)42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)
Mar45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C)51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)
Apr56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C)61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)
May66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C)72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)
Jun76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C)81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)
Jul81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C)85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)
Aug80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C)84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)
Sep72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C)76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)
Oct61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C)65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)
Nov51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C)54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)
Dec41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C)43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New Jersey than Massachusetts?

New Jersey and Massachusetts are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.

How much money do I need to move to New Jersey?

Budget about $19,062 for 3 months in New Jersey (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is New Jersey safe?

Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though New Jersey leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to Massachusetts?

Massachusetts generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in adult smoking rate.

What's the weather like in New Jersey compared to Massachusetts?

The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.

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