Should I Move To
Elizabeth, New Jersey is a population of 135,665 . Cost of living is expensive — 20% above the national average, with median rent around $1,390/month and median household income of $59,939. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 43/100 (grade D), ranking #728 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Elizabeth's composite cost-of-living index sits at 120 (US average = 100), placing it in the expensive tier. At $1,390/month median rent against $59,939 median household income, residents spend about 28% of household income on rent — within the standard 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $358,400.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Elizabeth has a four-season climate — summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 28°F, with 47 inches of precipitation annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown. Crime rates run somewhat higher than the typical US city. Air quality is good (AQI 41).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Elizabeth is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 35/100 (grade F) on the families profile. Especially strong on climate (66/100), weakest on education (4/100).
Elizabeth is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 45/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on climate (66/100), weakest on education (4/100).
Elizabeth is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 44/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on climate (66/100), weakest on education (4/100).
Elizabeth is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 36/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on climate (66/100), weakest on education (4/100).
Elizabeth, New Jersey has an overall UrbRank Score of 43/100 (grade D), ranked #728 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Elizabeth's cost-of-living index is 120 (US average = 100), so it's expensive — 20% above the national average. Median rent is $1,390/month.
Elizabeth has a four-season climate. Summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 28°F, with 47 inches of annual precipitation.
Elizabeth has a Walk Score of 32/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown.
Elizabeth has a population of 135,665, with 14% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Elizabeth side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Elizabeth ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
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