The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey In 2024


The most affordable places to live in New Jersey for 2024 are Bridgeton, Crestwood Village, and Camden according to Saturday Night Science.

Nothing in New Jersey comes cheap.

So, when it comes to finding the cheapest places to live in New Jersey, you’re going to have to put in the work.

Luckily, we put the work in for you. We researced home prices, incomes, and the overall cost of living from the Census. We crunched the numbers using Saturday Night Science to identify where it’s relaively affordable in the Garden State.

Many of these affordable cities provide access to fresh produce, quality diners, pizza, and a bagel with pork roll around the corner.

In other words, the reasons why nothing comes cheap in New Jersey.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary


Most Affordable Cities In New Jersey Map

What’s the cheapest place to live in New Jersey? The cheapest place to live in New Jersey is Bridgeton.

Other dollar-saving cities in New Jersey include Crestwood Village and Camden.

Read on to learn how we crunched the numbers and to see how your favorite city ranks amongst the cheapest places to live in New Jersey.

Check out some more reading about New Jersey and the cheapest places in the country:

The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey For 2024

Bridgeton, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 26,895
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $44,440
Median Home Price: $221,011
Median Rent: $1,246

The rule in New Jersey for affordable living is to get as far away from New York City as possible. Bridgeton fits that bill as it’s about as far southwest in New Jersey as you can be without hitting Delaware.

Bridgeton is a shining beacon of budget-friendliness as it ranks as the cheapest city in New Jersey. With an average home price of $221,011 and an average rent of $1,246, you have plenty left each month to visit the Cohanzick Zoo.

More on Bridgeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Crestwood Village, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Mr. Matté | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

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Population: 8,479
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $37,214
Median Home Price: $105,864
Median Rent: $1,159

Crestwood Village, located in Ocean County in the southern part of New Jersey, is the second lowest cost city in the state. The city has the second best home price to income in the Garden State.

The cost of living index at 90 is below the national average, cementing Crestwood Village as a financially savvy selection. The Jersey Shore provides plenty to do for residents.

More on Crestwood Village: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Camden, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Yann | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

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Population: 71,799
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 94
Median Income: $36,258
Median Home Price: $112,692
Median Rent: $1,091

Camden, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, has the third lowest home prices and a solid ninth home-price-to-income ratio. The city has the third lowest overall cost of living.

Camden has been steadily improving over the years and now has fun things to do, including Wiggins Waterfront Park and Adventure Aquarium, without breaking the budget.

More on Camden: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Millville, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) | CC BY-SA 2.5
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Population: 27,523
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 94
Median Income: $65,279
Median Home Price: $218,665
Median Rent: $1,187

Millville, in Cumberland County, ranks as the fourth cheapest city in NJ. According to Zillow, the average home price is the tenth lowest in the state at $218,665.

Like most cities on this list, Millville splits the distance between the Shore and the greater Philadelphia metro area. The town is home to the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

More on Millville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
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Population: 5,866
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $41,304
Median Home Price: $146,999
Median Rent: $1,470

You can take it easy on your wallet in Leisure Village. A 55+ and older community, it just broke the 5,000 population minimum this year.

It’s easy to save money when home prices are $146,999, and the most exciting thing to happen in town is bragging about your grandkids getting into Rutgers.

More on Leisure Village: Data | Real Estate

Trenton, NJ

Source: Public domain
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Population: 90,055
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $44,444
Median Home Price: $304,449
Median Rent: $1,177

Trenton, the state capital and one of the biggest cities in New Jersey, took home the sixth spot for the cheapest places in the state. It’s not every day you get affordability in bigger cities, but Trenton proves the exception.

The overall cost of living index of 97 includes low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare. Pulling a bit of a random rabbit out of a hat, I’ve been to the Grounds For Sculpture near Trenton and can personally attest it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon that isn’t too expensive.

More on Trenton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Gloucester City, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Elliot from Cherry Hill, NJ | CC BY-SA 2.0
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Population: 11,435
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $71,756
Median Home Price: $207,729
Median Rent: $1,400

Yet another Philly suburb, Gloucester City ranks as the seventh least expensive place in New Jersey. It’s hard to find much different between all these South Jersey places. It’s the same story with Gloucester City having only a $207,729, according to Zillow.

More on Gloucester City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Paulsboro, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
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Population: 6,195
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $58,271
Median Home Price: $198,943
Median Rent: $986

Paulsboro has impressively low living costs, including a cost of living index at 97 and home prices at $198,943. Ok, get ready for this, the ‘Paulsboro Pocketbook Paradise’ proves prosperous for those prioritizing practicality in the northeastern corridor.

Yea, you guessed it, Paulsboro is another Philadelphia suburb.

More on Paulsboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Salem, NJ

Source: Public domain
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Population: 5,285
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $35,143
Median Home Price: $190,963
Median Rent: $980

No one will call you a witch for the savings magic you find in Salem, one of the cheapest cities in New Jersey. The local cost-cutting witchcraft leads to an overall cost of living of 19.2% lower than the New Jersey average.

A Wilmington suburb, the average rent in Salem comes in at $980, the fifth lowest in the state.

More on Salem: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Vineland, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
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Population: 60,796
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $63,468
Median Home Price: $270,058
Median Rent: $1,177

In South Jersey’s Cumberland County, you’ll find the tenth cheapest city in the state – Vineland. It squeaked onto the list with a manageable 98 overall cost of living index is 22 points lower than the state average.

The home price to income ratio of 4.26 places 95th best statewide. That means you have more of your income to spend at the Jersey Shore or on a day trip to Philadelphia.

More on Vineland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cheapest places to live in New Jersey FAQs

The county in New Jersey with the lowest cost of living is Salem County. The average living wage in Salem County is $100,920 according to MIT data. Salem County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to New Jersey as a whole. Childcare costs $18,832 a year in Salem County for two children compared to the New Jersey average of $24,713. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $15,120 per year in Salem County compared to $19,486 on average in New Jersey.

The cost of living in New Jersey is 25.5% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in New Jersey is $112,597 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a New Jersey household is $85,245.

The cheapest housing market in New Jersey is Camden. The average home value in Camden is $82,500, the lowest in the state. The average home value in New Jersey is $343,500, almost 4.2 times higher than Camden.

Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Garden State for 2024

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
Determining affordability for places in New Jersey boils down to how much it costs to live here.

You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.

With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for New Jersey using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:

  • Housing
  • Transportation
  • Services
  • Groceries
  • Healthcare
  • Utilities

These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.

We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in New Jersey to figure out which is the least expensive.

The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 259 places in New Jersey that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.

The place in New Jersey with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Bridgeton.

We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in New Jersey.

New Jersey Affordabilility Summary

This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in New Jersey for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in New Jersey.

The cheapest cities in New Jersey are Bridgeton, Crestwood Village, Camden, Millville, Leisure Village, Trenton, Gloucester City, Paulsboro, Salem, and Vineland.

Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in New Jersey according to the data:

  1. Short Hills
  2. Englewood Cliffs
  3. Rumson

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey

Rank City Population Cost Of Living Index Median Income Home Prices Rent
1 Bridgeton 26,895 89 $44,440 $221,011 $1,246
2 Crestwood Village 8,479 90 $37,214 $105,864 $1,159
3 Camden 71,799 94 $36,258 $112,692 $1,091
4 Millville 27,523 94 $65,279 $218,665 $1,187
5 Leisure Village 5,866 96 $41,304 $146,999 $1,470
6 Trenton 90,055 97 $44,444 $304,449 $1,177
7 Gloucester City 11,435 97 $71,756 $207,729 $1,400
8 Paulsboro 6,195 97 $58,271 $198,943 $986
9 Salem 5,285 97 $35,143 $190,963 $980
10 Vineland 60,796 98 $63,468 $270,058 $1,177
11 Phillipsburg 15,206 98 $64,130 $287,518 $1,120
12 Lindenwold 21,337 99 $53,645 $227,531 $1,179
13 Villas 9,925 99 $74,182 $329,982 $1,394
14 Atlantic City 38,487 100 $35,188 $189,928 $1,057
15 Pleasantville 20,562 100 $48,704 $198,435 $1,214
16 Pine Hill 10,698 100 $69,176 $237,936 $1,173
17 Browns Mills 10,060 100 $70,826 $273,687 $1,169
18 Clayton 8,801 100 $91,711 $269,019 $1,180
19 Glassboro 23,014 101 $78,518 $318,867 $1,468
20 Williamstown 14,770 101 $89,567 $322,665 $1,166
21 Mays Landing 6,183 101 $83,639 $278,277 $1,196
22 Glendora 5,817 101 $83,689 $284,961 $783
23 Clementon 5,312 101 $62,917 $270,554 $996
24 Pennsville 12,256 102 $76,009 $240,393 $1,197
25 Bellmawr 11,677 102 $71,935 $270,837 $1,081
26 Stratford 6,962 102 $89,200 $297,326 $1,109
27 Somerdale 5,524 102 $83,778 $307,227 $1,108
28 Holiday City-Berkeley 12,639 103 $45,260 $269,417 $1,656
29 Burlington 9,833 103 $69,351 $241,128 $1,382
30 Absecon 9,086 103 $73,141 $295,803 $1,697
31 Runnemede 8,307 103 $85,700 $275,560 $1,326
32 Palmyra 7,437 103 $84,866 $266,511 $1,637
33 Wildwood 5,164 103 $49,131 $549,726 $1,287
34 Somers Point 10,482 104 $68,262 $360,383 $1,240
35 Woodbury 9,981 104 $75,425 $289,967 $939
36 Pomona 8,878 104 $95,161 $293,011 $933
37 Audubon 8,695 105 $103,379 $336,856 $1,183
38 Pitman 8,805 106 $91,566 $317,191 $1,336
39 Carneys Point 8,136 106 $71,602 $224,354 $1,248
40 Mystic Island 7,635 106 $65,194 $323,275 $1,630
41 East Orange 68,879 107 $58,659 $411,261 $1,331
42 Newton 8,370 107 $72,240 $393,001 $1,333
43 Barrington 7,022 107 $82,070 $324,789 $1,247
44 Hammonton 14,732 108 $79,747 $328,819 $1,362
45 Keansburg 9,761 108 $80,144 $323,954 $1,591
46 Smithville 9,135 108 $67,453 $294,740 $1,429
47 Washington 7,240 108 $67,761 $256,199 $1,205
48 Echelon 13,553 109 $75,874 $336,369 $1,642
49 Northfield 8,432 109 $103,977 $339,039 $1,543
50 Berlin 7,489 109 $98,706 $342,726 $1,616
51 Newark 307,355 110 $46,460 $432,693 $1,273
52 Roselle 22,500 110 $75,264 $433,224 $1,367
53 Ellisburg 5,476 110 $88,486 $342,669 $1,395
54 Marlton 10,403 111 $90,345 $356,134 $1,508
55 White Horse 9,692 111 $101,380 $326,117 $1,490
56 Forked River 5,003 111 $87,195 $430,687 $1,894
57 Cape May Court House 5,557 112 $66,422 $392,107 $1,343
58 Ocean Acres 18,229 113 $106,367 $402,705 $1,987
59 Cherry Hill Mall 13,070 113 $107,056 $347,981 $1,777
60 Ventnor City 9,285 113 $71,321 $510,990 $1,507
61 Twin Rivers 8,144 113 $110,750 $321,793 $1,598
62 Hopatcong 14,411 114 $107,670 $381,593 $1,682
63 Collingswood 14,135 114 $78,909 $389,070 $1,247
64 South Amboy 9,336 114 $94,776 $438,770 $1,657
65 Wharton 7,217 114 $91,557 $427,591 $1,815
66 Kingston Estates 6,999 114 $100,212 $339,581 $1,700
67 Plainfield 54,358 115 $70,712 $443,546 $1,559
68 Linden 43,478 115 $86,801 $488,730 $1,597
69 North Plainfield 22,695 115 $81,219 $432,136 $1,485
70 Manville 10,892 115 $85,925 $410,651 $1,673
71 Pine Lake Park 9,711 115 $87,358 $403,446 $1,713
72 Ashland 9,383 115 $112,690 $348,475 $2,108
73 Madison Park 8,291 115 $74,651 $437,046 $1,522
74 Laurence Harbor 6,418 115 $95,399 $387,881 $1,534
75 Yardville 6,405 115 $107,661 $367,252 $1,449
76 Paterson 157,864 116 $52,092 $433,327 $1,392
77 Elizabeth 135,665 116 $59,939 $485,755 $1,390
78 Perth Amboy 55,226 116 $56,239 $409,914 $1,562
79 Dover 18,426 116 $67,987 $443,950 $1,698
80 Avenel 17,211 116 $84,549 $428,904 $1,722
81 Mercerville 14,364 116 $116,380 $380,963 $1,615
82 Spotswood 8,136 116 $100,781 $457,158 $1,124
83 Haddon Heights 7,484 116 $117,556 $429,614 $1,209
84 Keyport 7,188 116 $75,709 $420,902 $1,251
85 Jamesburg 5,783 116 $112,813 $391,126 $1,431
86 New Brunswick 55,718 117 $57,138 $373,463 $1,754
87 South River 16,081 117 $95,981 $450,211 $1,615
88 Roselle Park 13,964 117 $97,769 $481,750 $1,455
89 Pompton Lakes 11,052 117 $113,781 $464,830 $1,716
90 Budd Lake 9,983 117 $99,303 $483,233 $1,216
91 Linwood 6,952 117 $133,487 $417,000 $1,780
92 Carteret 25,161 118 $79,049 $462,130 $1,833
93 Beachwood 10,933 118 $99,099 $402,754 $2,067
94 Prospect Park 6,299 118 $54,271 $444,922 $1,758
95 Woodbridge 20,927 119 $103,481 $405,857 $1,973
96 Fords 12,663 119 $110,643 $440,393 $1,870
97 Freehold 12,498 119 $71,205 $525,108 $1,678
98 Wanaque 11,217 119 $108,650 $439,505 $1,842
99 Dunellen 7,598 119 $86,532 $449,110 $1,402
100 Toms River 92,827 120 $92,012 $401,834 $1,592
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.