Cost of Living in Jersey City, New Jersey
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Jersey City, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 302,013
- Median household income
- $100,751
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 112.6
- Unemployment rate
- 4.4%
Is Jersey City a good place to live?
Jersey City is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $2,835 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing.
Your own pay and housing may differ. Try your job
- Cost of living13% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$2,678 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,846 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Jersey City
Prices in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area run 13% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 49% above the US average.
- Housing49% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)10% above the US average
- Utilities27% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)6% above the US average
- All items13% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $2,678 | $32,136 |
| Food | $544 | $6,528 |
| Transportation | $430 | $5,160 |
| Healthcare | $373 | $4,476 |
| Utilities | $331 | $3,972 |
| Total before taxes | $4,356 | $52,272 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Jersey City | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,623 | $2,462 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,678 | $2,514 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,977 | $2,792 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,617 | $3,392 |
| 4 bedrooms | $4,238 | $3,976 |
Living in Jersey City
How Jersey City compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Jersey City | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,751 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $571,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $2,182 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 72.9% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 16.1% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 58.4% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.3 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 39 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 19.5% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 45.1% | 3.7% |
Home internet
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Jersey City, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 84.2% of homes and 94.2% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Jersey City
Pros
- Usable public transit. 45.1% of commuters take public transit, against 3.7% nationally.
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $100,751, against $81,604 nationally.
- Highly educated workforce. 58.4% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
- Remote-work friendly. 19.5% of workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker living alone comes up $2,835 short each year after taxes, rent and everyday costs.
- Longer commutes. The average one-way commute is 39 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $2,182 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 13% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
What your job keeps in Jersey City
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $61,430
- Federal income tax
- −$5,192
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,957
- State income tax
- −$1,846
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$32,136
- Everyday costs
- −$20,134
a year ($236 a month) for one earner renting a 1-bedroom alone
Pay: BLS OEWS New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
A single earner renting a 1-bedroom alone. Sharing housing, or a second income, changes this a lot.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $208,880 | $91,363 |
| Software engineer | $166,830 | $63,887 |
| Financial analyst | $128,930 | $40,555 |
| Project manager | $126,660 | $39,159 |
| Registered nurse | $119,720 | $34,845 |
| Accountant | $105,650 | $25,901 |
| Police officer | $105,540 | $25,831 |
| Teacher | $98,208 | $21,171 |
| Truck driver | $65,040 | −$150 |
| Nursing assistant | $49,270 | −$11,882 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Jersey City on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic −$5,565
- Carpenter $5,961
- Civil engineer $26,968
- Data scientist $44,895
- Dental assistant −$12,508
- Dental hygienist $28,489
- Dentist $78,577
- Diesel mechanic $6,914
- Electrician $8,975
- Firefighter $26,391
- HVAC technician $8,320
- Licensed practical nurse $6,998
- Lineman $36,585
- Mechanical engineer $28,660
- Medical assistant −$12,552
- Nurse practitioner $61,737
- Occupational therapist $23,238
- Paralegal $6,624
- Paramedic $9,312
- Pharmacist $48,182
- Pharmacy technician −$15,328
- Physical therapist $27,173
- Physician assistant $64,392
- Plumber $8,714
- Radiologic technologist $24,045
- Respiratory therapist $28,977
- Social worker $5,768
- Speech-language pathologist $27,306
- Veterinarian $57,312
- Welder −$2,650
Compare Jersey City with other cities
Compare Jersey City with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Jersey City
28 licensed interstate movers are based in Jersey City, and 536 more elsewhere in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Jersey City, NJ a good place to live?
Jersey City is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $2,835 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing. The typical worker here earns $61,430 and would be $2,835 short a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, renting alone.
What is the cost of living in Jersey City?
Prices in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area are 13% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $2,678 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,678 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Jersey City?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $65,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area earns $61,430.
What is the average rent in Jersey City?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $2,623 for a studio, $2,678 for a 1-bedroom and $2,977 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Jersey City at $2,182 a month (2024).
Does Jersey City have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $61,430, New Jersey state income tax comes to about $1,846 a year. Jersey City has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Jersey City?
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Jersey City, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 84.2% of homes can get fiber and 94.2% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate