City comparison
Clifton, NJ is about 10 miles (20 km) from Jersey City, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 14 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 Jersey City, NJ takes about 1 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.
Jersey City has a population of 287,899, vs 89,451 in Clifton — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Jersey City covers about 15 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 | Jersey City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,633/mo | $1,799/mo | 10.2% higher in Jersey City |
| Median home value | $428,000 | $500,100 | 16.8% higher in Jersey City |
| Median household income | $94,179 | $91,151 | 3.3% higher in Clifton |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 109.6 | ≈ equal (Jersey City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 128.8 | 3.5% higher in Jersey City |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 105.4 | ≈ equal (Jersey City slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 105.3 | ≈ equal (Clifton slightly higher) |
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 $100,774 in Jersey City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Clifton, NJ is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Jersey City, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Clifton, you'd need about $80,620 in Jersey City to keep the same standard of living.