City comparison
Clifton, NJ is about 50 miles (90 km) from Trenton, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 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 Trenton, NJ takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Trenton has a population of 90,055, vs 89,451 in Clifton — about the same size. By land area, Clifton covers about 11 sq mi vs 7.6 sq mi for Trenton.
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 | Trenton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,633/mo | $1,177/mo | 38.7% higher in Clifton |
| Median home value | $428,000 | $111,200 | 284.9% higher in Clifton |
| Median household income | $94,179 | $44,444 | 111.9% higher in Clifton |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 99.9 | 9.5% higher in Clifton |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 111.1 | 12.1% higher in Clifton |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 97.8 | 7.4% higher in Clifton |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 98.5 | 7.3% higher in Clifton |
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 $90,675 in Trenton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Trenton, NJ is about 9.3% cheaper overall than Clifton, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% higher in Clifton than in Trenton. If you earn $80,000 in Clifton, you'd need about $72,540 in Trenton to keep the same standard of living.