Cost of Living in New Jersey
What it costs to live in New Jersey, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 9,500,851
- Median household income
- $104,294
- State income tax
- Up to 10.8%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 108.8
What a typical paycheck keeps in New Jersey
The typical New Jersey worker earns $58,570 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $5,318 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $58,570
- Federal income tax
- −$4,848
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,727
- State income tax
- −$1,688
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$22,692
- Everyday costs
- −$19,297
a year, or $443 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across New Jersey.
Cost of living in New Jersey
Prices across New Jersey run 9% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing34% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)7% above the US average
- Utilities14% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% above the US average
- All items9% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,891 | $22,692 |
| Food | $528 | $6,336 |
| Transportation | $418 | $5,016 |
| Healthcare | $365 | $4,380 |
| Utilities | $297 | $3,564 |
| Total before taxes | $3,499 | $41,988 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
New Jersey taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 1.4% |
| $20,000 | 1.8% |
| $35,000 | 3.5% |
| $40,000 | 5.5% |
| $75,000 | 6.4% |
| $500,000 | 9% |
| $1,000,000 | 10.8% |
Payroll programs withheld from wages
- Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI)0.2% up to $171,100
- Family Leave Insurance (FLI)0.2% up to $171,100
Employee contributions to state disability and family leave insurance are counted under payroll taxes. Newark's and Jersey City's payroll taxes are paid by employers, not deducted from wages.
Taxes on the median household income
$104,294 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$14,115 |
| Payroll taxes | −$8,417 |
| State income tax | −$4,454 |
| Effective tax rate | 25.9% |
Cities in New Jersey
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each New Jersey city we cover.
What common jobs keep in New Jersey
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $171,330 | $76,939 |
| Physician assistant | $165,690 | $73,465 |
| Lawyer | $161,430 | $70,844 |
| Veterinarian | $160,140 | $70,049 |
| Nurse practitioner | $159,310 | $69,539 |
| Pharmacist | $137,620 | $56,186 |
| Software engineer | $135,940 | $55,152 |
| Data scientist | $135,280 | $54,746 |
| Project manager | $122,980 | $47,174 |
| Lineman | $121,580 | $46,306 |
| Mechanical engineer | $112,300 | $40,408 |
| Physical therapist | $112,140 | $40,307 |
| Financial analyst | $108,610 | $38,063 |
| Dental hygienist | $107,040 | $37,066 |
| Registered nurse | $106,500 | $36,722 |
Salary pages in New Jersey, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in New Jersey
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $310,440 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $292,170 |
| Physicians, All Other | $285,010 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $207,030 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $203,460 |
| Pediatricians, General | $201,560 |
| Financial Managers | $199,110 |
| Psychiatrists | $194,070 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $180,640 |
| Marketing Managers | $180,040 |
| Public Relations Managers | $174,980 |
| Purchasing Managers | $174,520 |
| General and Operations Managers | $173,690 |
| Sales Managers | $173,020 |
| Human Resources Managers | $172,440 |
Living in New Jersey
New Jersey against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | New Jersey | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $496,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,800 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 44.6% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 31.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13.5% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare New Jersey with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in New Jersey?
Prices in New Jersey are 9% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,891 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,608 a month.
Does New Jersey have a state income tax?
Yes. New Jersey's income tax rate is up to 10.8%. On a typical wage of $58,570, a single filer pays about $1,688 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in New Jersey?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $51,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in New Jersey earns $58,570 and keeps $5,318 after those costs.
Where in New Jersey does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the New Jersey cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Trenton ($14,582 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Jersey City ($2,835 short).
What jobs pay the most in New Jersey?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in New Jersey goes to Chief Executives ($310,440); Family Medicine Physicians ($292,170); Physicians, All Other ($285,010) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate