City comparison
Clifton, NJ is about 10 miles (20 km) from Elizabeth, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 17 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Clifton, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Elizabeth has a population of 135,665, vs 89,451 in Clifton — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Elizabeth covers about 12 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Clifton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Clifton | Elizabeth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,633/mo | $1,390/mo | 17.5% higher in Clifton |
| Median home value | $428,000 | $358,400 | 19.4% higher in Clifton |
| Median household income | $94,179 | $59,939 | 57.1% higher in Clifton |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 109.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 124.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 105.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 105.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Clifton, you'd need $99,417 in Elizabeth to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Elizabeth, NJ is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Clifton, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Clifton, you'd need about $79,534 in Elizabeth to keep the same standard of living.