Should I Move To
New Brunswick, New Jersey is a population of 55,718 . Cost of living is expensive — 15% above the national average, with median rent around $1,754/month and median household income of $57,138. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 50/100 (grade C-), ranking #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.
New Brunswick's composite cost-of-living index sits at 115 (US average = 100), placing it in the expensive tier. At $1,754/month median rent against $57,138 median household income, residents spend about 37% of household income on rent — slightly above the 30% rule, indicating tight affordability. Median home value is $289,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →New Brunswick has a four-season climate — summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 28°F, with 47 inches of precipitation annually. Very walkable — most errands can be done on foot from a central neighborhood. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
New Brunswick is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 45/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Especially strong on walkability (87/100), weakest on job market (19/100).
New Brunswick is a moderate fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 58/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on walkability (87/100), weakest on job market (19/100).
New Brunswick is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on walkability (87/100), weakest on job market (19/100).
New Brunswick is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 49/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on walkability (87/100), weakest on job market (19/100).
New Brunswick, New Jersey has an overall UrbRank Score of 50/100 (grade C-), ranked #491 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
New Brunswick's cost-of-living index is 115 (US average = 100), so it's expensive — 15% above the national average. Median rent is $1,754/month.
New Brunswick has a four-season climate. Summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 28°F, with 47 inches of annual precipitation.
New Brunswick has a Walk Score of 87/100. Very walkable — most errands can be done on foot from a central neighborhood.
New Brunswick has a population of 55,718, with 24% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 24.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put New Brunswick 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 New Brunswick 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.
Compare New Brunswick with other New Jersey cities scored on UrbRank.
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