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New Jersey

Very High tax burden · COL index 121

Wins 9 categories

VS

California

High tax burden · COL index 142

Wins 2 categories

California's top income tax rate is 13.3% vs New Jersey's 10.75%. Cost of living in California (index 142) runs 17% higher than New Jersey (index 121). Property taxes are meaningfully different: New Jersey averages 2.13% annually vs California's 0.71%. The median home in California costs $790K vs $500K in New Jersey.

New Jersey
California

Taxes

10.75%
Income Tax (top rate)
13.3%
2.13%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.71%/yr
6.6%
Sales Tax (avg)
8.82%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

121
COL Index (100=avg)
142
$500K
Median Home Price
$790K
$2,200/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$2,300/mo
$1K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

213
Violent Crime / 100K
499
1,368
Property Crime / 100K
2,027

Healthcare

#19 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#13 of 50
79 yrs
Life Expectancy
79.2 yrs
6.8%
Uninsured Rate
6.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#2 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#20 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,800/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$2,200/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$155/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$175/mo
$640/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$620/mo
#44 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#49 of 50

Social Policy

A
Gun Laws Grade
A
D+6.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+20.0

Category wins

9

New Jersey

2

California

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People Also Ask

Which is better, California or New Jersey?

Why are people moving away from New Jersey?

How much is $100,000 a year after taxes in NJ?

Is it cheaper to live in NJ or CA?

Is it more expensive to live in Newark or Los Angeles? Overall cost of living in Los Angeles, CA is 33.8% higher than in Newark, NJ. The average listing price for a home in Los Angeles, CA is $1,350,980, which is 103.0% higher than Newark, NJ.

Full New Jersey Profile →Full California Profile →

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