State relocation profile · Federal data
New Jersey
New Jersey sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 108.8
- Cost index (US=100)
- $2,131
- 2BR rent / mo
- $80,365
- Median salary
- 37.8
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, New Jersey ranks #47 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (37.8/100, F), with its strongest marks in wages and safety.
- #47 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 37.8
- Life Score · F
- 108.8
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $80,365
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: rent (6/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), New Jersey ranks #47 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 108.8 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $2,131/mo, median salary $80,365; Life Score 37.8/100 (F), strongest in wages and safety.
Signature: BEA RPP 108.8 ranks #48 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 108.8 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $2,131/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $80,365.
Composite Life Score 37.8/100 (F) puts New Jersey in the bottom third (#47 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (3 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet NJ · New Jersey 37.8/100 · F · #47 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #47/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±1.2 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 108.8
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: New York ( -1.2 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around New Jersey
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest New Jersey on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
New Jersey childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for New Jersey (infant $15,732/yr leads the book).
New Jersey Life Score breakdown
New Jersey composites to 37.8/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #47 of 51.
New Jersey - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
90 /100
- Safety
Safety
78 /100
- Environment 34
Environment
34 /100
- Childcare 14
Childcare
14 /100
- Schools 12
Schools
12 /100
- Cost of living 6
Cost of living
6 /100
- Rent 6
Rent
6 /100
What this shows New Jersey's strongest dimensions are wages and safety; its weakest among scored dims is rent at 6/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near New Jersey on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to New Jersey on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in New Jersey
Explore detailed relocation data for 3 metropolitan areas in New Jersey. New Jersey contains 3 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Atlantic City-Hammonton, Trenton-Princeton, Vineland - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Atlantic City-Hammonton metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
New Jersey cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; New Jersey wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.