Best Life Index › States › New Jersey › Cities › Clifton

New Jersey city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Clifton?

What it costs to live in Clifton, and how it compares with other New Jersey cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

45

51st best value in New Jersey

How much you get for what you pay, versus other New Jersey cities.

Overall livability

53

32nd overall in New Jersey

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Clifton is home to about 89,460 people. A typical home runs $369,800 and a household earns around $86,600, a price-to-income ratio of 4.3. Among New Jersey's largest cities, it ranks 51st for value and 32nd overall.

Clifton at a glance

Median home price

$369,800

44th in NJ of 78

Median rent

$1,490/mo

Median household income

$86,600

Home price to income

4.3x

Unemployment

5.9%

32nd in NJ of 78

School rating

8/10

34th in NJ of 78

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in NJ of 78

Walk score

9/100

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‹ See all top New Jersey cities ranked  ยท  New Jersey state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within New Jersey only. Updated 2026.