City comparison
New York, NY is about 10 miles (20 km) from Newark, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 16 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 New York, NY to Newark, 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.
New York has a population of 8,622,467, vs 307,355 in Newark — about 28.1× larger by population. By land area, New York covers about 300 sq mi vs 24 sq mi for Newark.
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 | New York | Newark | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,714/mo | $1,273/mo | 34.6% higher in New York |
| Median home value | $732,100 | $312,300 | 134.4% higher in New York |
| Median household income | $76,607 | $46,460 | 64.9% higher in New York |
| Groceries index | 109.6 | 109.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 128.8 | 128.8 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 105.4 | 105.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 105.3 | 105.3 | ≈ 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 New York, you'd need $98,944 in Newark to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newark, NJ is about 1.1% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in New York than in Newark. If you earn $80,000 in New York, you'd need about $79,155 in Newark to keep the same standard of living.