Cost of living in Clifton research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Clifton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New Jersey, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Clifton is 127, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Clifton is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Clifton ranks as the #121 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Clifton ranks as the #4,833 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Clifton is $598,340.
The median income in Clifton is $99,003.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Clifton has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Clifton has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Clifton ranks as #121 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Clifton ranks as the #139 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Clifton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Clifton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Clifton is 107.
The Groceries index in Clifton is 104.
The Health index in Clifton is 97.
The Housing index in Clifton is 180.
The Transportation index in Clifton is 107.
The Utilities index in Clifton is 112.
| Living Expense | Clifton | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 127 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 104 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 180 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 112 | 107 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Jersey, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Clifton is $598,340.
The Median Rent in Clifton is $1,658.
The Median Income in Clifton is $99,003.
The Home Value To Income in Clifton is 6.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Clifton is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Clifton | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $598,340 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,658 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $99,003 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.0x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Clifton | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.48 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.78 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.62 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.67 | $45.56 |
| Item | Clifton | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.65 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.39 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.71 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.37 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.33 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
| Item | Clifton | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.11 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $115.59 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $124.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Clifton | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.41 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $82.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Clifton | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $236.04 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Clifton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Paterson, NJ has a cost of living index of 114, 0.9x Clifton.
Passaic, NJ has a cost of living index of 126, 1.0x Clifton.
Garfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x Clifton.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Clifton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson, NJ | 157,660 | 114 | 0.9x |
| Passaic, NJ | 69,651 | 126 | 1.0x |
| Garfield, NJ | 32,502 | 130 | 1.0x |
| Elmwood Park, NJ | 21,287 | 135 | 1.1x |
| Eastchester, NY | 20,519 | 167 | 1.3x |
| Rutherford, NJ | 18,748 | 144 | 1.1x |
| Woodland Park, NJ | 13,284 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Upper Montclair, NJ | 12,279 | 180 | 1.4x |
| Wallington, NJ | 11,825 | 133 | 1.0x |
| Dobbs Ferry, NY | 11,397 | 173 | 1.4x |