Elizabeth vs Jersey City
Elizabeth, New Jersey versus Jersey City, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Elizabeth and Jersey City score about the same overall (40 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Elizabeth | Jersey City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $60k | $91k |
| Cost of Living | $85k | $68k |
| Home Value | $358k | $500k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.79% | 1.61% |
| Income Tax | 10.70% | 10.70% |
| Sales Tax | 6.60% | 6.60% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 29.56% | 21.72% |
| Unemployment | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.6 in | 50.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 31.5 in | 28.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 170 days | 170 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 81 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 37.0 | 35.7 |
| Air Quality | 32 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1739/100k | 776/100k |
| Property Crime | 2553/100k | 1601/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 135,665 | 287,899 |
| Median Age | 35.7 | 34.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.77 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 1.03 |
| Political Leaning | R+15 | D+47 |
| White (%) | 13.0% | 23.0% |
| Black (%) | 16.2% | 19.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 65.6% | 27.2% |
| Asian (%) | 2.0% | 25.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.1% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 37 min |
| Walkability | 12.5/20 | 15.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 2 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 83.1% | 90.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 45.26 | 179.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Elizabeth or Jersey City more affordable?
- Jersey City has the lower cost of living: its index is $68k, compared with Elizabeth's $85k and Jersey City's $68k. Median rent is $1k in Elizabeth versus $2k in Jersey City.
- Is Elizabeth or Jersey City safer?
- Jersey City has the lower violent crime rate. Elizabeth reports 1739/100k and Jersey City reports 776/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Elizabeth or Jersey City?
- The median home value is $358k in Elizabeth and $500k in Jersey City, so homes are more affordable in Elizabeth.