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

New Jersey city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Jersey City?

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

Value score

32

63rd best value in New Jersey

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

Overall livability

42

52nd overall in New Jersey

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

Jersey City is home to about 287,146 people. A typical home runs $437,200 and a household earns around $81,400, a price-to-income ratio of 5.4. Among New Jersey's largest cities, it ranks 63rd for value and 52nd overall.

Jersey City at a glance

Median home price

$437,200

63rd in NJ of 78

Median rent

$1,611/mo

Median household income

$81,400

Home price to income

5.4x

Unemployment

5.8%

31st in NJ of 78

School rating

7/10

39th in NJ of 78

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in NJ of 78

Walk score

35/100

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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.