City comparison
Hackensack, NJ is about 10 miles (20 km) from Jersey City, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 15 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 Hackensack, 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 45,758 in Hackensack — about 6.3× larger by population. By land area, Jersey City covers about 15 sq mi vs 4.2 sq mi for Hackensack.
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 | Hackensack | Jersey City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,750/mo | $1,799/mo | 2.8% higher in Jersey City |
| Median home value | $353,000 | $500,100 | 41.7% higher in Jersey City |
| Median household income | $79,133 | $91,151 | 15.2% higher in Jersey City |
| 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 (Hackensack 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 Hackensack, you'd need $100,494 in Jersey City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Hackensack, NJ is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Jersey City, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Hackensack, you'd need about $80,395 in Jersey City to keep the same standard of living.