Moving to New Jersey from New York

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from New York to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 7.1% more expensive than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $80,898 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $80,898

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 4.7% more

Groceries

pay 7.6% more

Transportation

pay 3.8% more

Housing

pay 7.1% more

Childcare

pay 11.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.8% less

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 17% more than cities in New York.

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
381
NJ
215
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
1760
NJ
1481

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

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NY
5.0%
NJ
7.1%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NY
29.9%
NJ
30.0%

New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

NY
$403,000
NJ
$427,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NY
$1,576
NJ
$1,653

New York generally does better on what about housing?, though New Jersey leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NY
89.7%
NJ
91.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NY
33 min
NJ
31 min

New Jersey performs significantly better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NY
4.4%
NJ
4.5%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NY
$91,992
NJ
$70,788

New York generally does better on employment & economy, though New Jersey leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NY
77.7 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

NY
28%
NJ
29%

New York generally does better on family life, though New Jersey leads in bachelor's degree or higher.

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.

AlbanyRain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58°/39°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsAlbanyTrenton
Jan–Mar37°/19°F (2°/-7°C)44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun68°/47°F (20°/8°C)71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep78°/58°F (26°/14°C)82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)54°/36°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
MonthAlbanyTrenton
Jan31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C)39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)
Feb35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C)42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)
Mar44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C)51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)
Apr58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C)61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)
May69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C)72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)
Jun78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C)81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)
Jul82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C)85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)
Aug80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C)84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)
Sep72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C)76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)
Oct60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C)65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)
Nov48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C)54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)
Dec36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°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 New York?

No — New Jersey is on average about 8% more expensive than New York. 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 $20,224 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 New York across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to New York?

New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in diabetes rate.

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

The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.

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