Moving to New Jersey from Missouri

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Missouri to New Jersey — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Missouri to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 35.2% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $104,670 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Missouri to New Jersey.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $104,670

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 16.6% more

Groceries

pay 31.0% more

Transportation

pay 15.5% more

Housing

pay 48.2% more

Childcare

pay 70.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 41.2% 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.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Missouri to New Jersey.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
453
NJ
215
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
2070
NJ
1481

New Jersey performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MO
8.9%
NJ
7.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MO
37.5%
NJ
30.0%

New Jersey performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MO
$215,600
NJ
$427,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MO
$996
NJ
$1,653

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MO
88.3%
NJ
91.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MO
24 min
NJ
31 min

Missouri generally does better on infrastructure, though New Jersey leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MO
3.3%
NJ
4.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MO
$56,344
NJ
$70,788

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MO
75.1 yrs
NJ
77.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MO
22%
NJ
29%

New Jersey performs significantly better than Missouri 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.

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Columbia Trenton
Jan–Mar 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) 54°/36°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Columbia Trenton
Jan 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)
Feb 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)
Mar 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)
Apr 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)
May 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)
Jun 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)
Jul 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)
Aug 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)
Sep 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)
Oct 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)
Nov 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)
Dec 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°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 Missouri?

No — New Jersey is on average about 40% more expensive than Missouri. City-level variation matters.

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

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $26,168 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 Missouri across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to Missouri?

New Jersey performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.

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