Moving to New Jersey from Texas

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Texas to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 26.3% more expensive than Texas. A $75,000 salary in Texas would need to be roughly $96,839 in New Jersey to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Trenton averages 63°F vs 79°F in Austin, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $96,839

To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 7.2% more

Groceries

pay 33.0% more

Transportation

pay 26.5% more

Housing

pay 23.9% more

Childcare

pay 53.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 26.8% 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 39% more than cities in Texas.

Texas

Dallas 68%
Plano 64%
Houston 63%

New Jersey

Princeton 87%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TX
391
NJ
215
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TX
2153
NJ
1481

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

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

TX
16.0%
NJ
7.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TX
36.8%
NJ
30.0%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

TX
$260,400
NJ
$427,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TX
$1,339
NJ
$1,653

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

TX
90.1%
NJ
91.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TX
27 min
NJ
31 min

Texas 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

TX
3.9%
NJ
4.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TX
$70,071
NJ
$70,788

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

TX
76.5 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

TX
20%
NJ
29%

New Jersey performs significantly better than Texas 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.

Austin Rain: 36.2 in/yr (920 mm)
79° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Austin Trenton
Jan–Mar 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) 54°/36°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Austin Trenton
Jan 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)
Feb 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)
Mar 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)
Apr 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)
May 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)
Jun 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)
Jul 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)
Aug 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)
Sep 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)
Nov 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)
Dec 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°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 Texas?

On average New Jersey is around 29% pricier than Texas, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about $24,210 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?

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

How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to Texas?

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

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

The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 79°F in Austin. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Austin gets 36.2 in.

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