Moving to New Jersey from Massachusetts
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
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.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in New Jersey compared to Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though New Jersey leads in violent 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
Massachusetts generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in adult smoking rate.
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 Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Massachusetts performs better than New Jersey across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Massachusetts 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
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Boston | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) | 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boston | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) | 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) |
| Mar | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) | 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) |
| May | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) | 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) |
| Jun | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) | 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) | 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) |
| Aug | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) | 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) |
| Oct | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) | 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) |
| Dec | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°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 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.
