Should I Move To
Roughly 55,718 people live in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,754/mo; the typical household pulls in $57,138. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 50/100 — a C-, putting it at #491 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
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.
By the composite index, New Brunswick sits at 123 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,754/mo against $57,138 median household income), housing eats roughly 37% of a typical paycheck — a bit above the 30% rule, meaning housing is on the tight side for the median household. Buying-side, the median home value is $289,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 84°F in summer, 28°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 47 inches. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Air quality reads good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, New Brunswick isn't the strongest match. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on walkability (87/100); weakest on job market (19/100).
For retirees, New Brunswick is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 58/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on walkability (87/100); weakest on job market (19/100).
For remote workers, New Brunswick isn't the strongest match. It earns 52/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on walkability (87/100); weakest on job market (19/100).
For young professionals, New Brunswick isn't the strongest match. It earns 49/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on walkability (87/100); weakest on job market (19/100).
New Brunswick, New Jersey pulls a 50/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #491 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
New Brunswick's cost-of-living index is 123 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,754/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 84°F, winter averages around 28°F, with about 47 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 87/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
New Brunswick has about 55,718 residents, 24% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 24.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put New Brunswick head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how New Brunswick stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
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.
Compare New Brunswick with other New Jersey cities scored on UrbRank.
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