City comparison
Clifton, NJ is about 10 miles (10 km) from Newark, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 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 Newark, 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.
Newark has a population of 307,355, vs 89,451 in Clifton — about 3.4× larger by population. By land area, Newark covers about 24 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 | Newark | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,633/mo | $1,273/mo | 28.3% higher in Clifton |
| Median home value | $428,000 | $312,300 | 37.0% higher in Clifton |
| Median household income | $94,179 | $46,460 | 102.7% higher in Clifton |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 109.6 | ≈ equal (Newark slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 128.8 | 3.5% higher in Newark |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 105.4 | ≈ equal (Newark 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 $99,513 in Newark to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newark, NJ is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Clifton, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Clifton than in Newark. If you earn $80,000 in Clifton, you'd need about $79,610 in Newark to keep the same standard of living.