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

New Jersey city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Elizabeth?

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

Value score

22

71st best value in New Jersey

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

Overall livability

36

62nd overall in New Jersey

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

Elizabeth is home to about 135,772 people. A typical home runs $314,500 and a household earns around $54,400, a price-to-income ratio of 5.8. Among New Jersey's largest cities, it ranks 71st for value and 62nd overall.

Elizabeth at a glance

Median home price

$314,500

71st in NJ of 78

Median rent

$1,281/mo

Median household income

$54,400

Home price to income

5.8x

Unemployment

5.8%

30th in NJ of 78

School rating

4/10

63rd in NJ of 78

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in NJ of 78

Walk score

15/100

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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.