Cost of living in Dunellen 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 Dunellen 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 Dunellen is 121, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dunellen is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Dunellen ranks as the #93 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Dunellen ranks as the #4,476 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Dunellen is $530,423.
The median income in Dunellen is $84,789.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dunellen has an overall cost of living index of 121, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Dunellen has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Dunellen ranks as #93 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Dunellen ranks as the #167 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Dunellen, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dunellen. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dunellen is 113.
The Groceries index in Dunellen is 101.
The Health index in Dunellen is 100.
The Housing index in Dunellen is 142.
The Transportation index in Dunellen is 103.
The Utilities index in Dunellen is 109.
| Living Expense | Dunellen | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 121 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 100 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 142 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 103 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 109 | 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 Dunellen is $530,423.
The Median Rent in Dunellen is $1,461.
The Median Income in Dunellen is $84,789.
The Home Value To Income in Dunellen is 6.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dunellen is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Dunellen | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $530,423 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,461 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $84,789 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.3x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Dunellen | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.53 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.53 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $20.98 | $18 |
| Haircut | $30.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $53.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Dunellen | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.13 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.7 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.32 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.59 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.12 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | Dunellen | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.93 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $124.1 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $129.94 | $113.29 |
| Item | Dunellen | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.41 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $72.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Dunellen | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.08 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dunellen. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Plainfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 118, 1.0x Dunellen.
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 178, 1.5x Dunellen.
South Plainfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 132, 1.1x Dunellen.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dunellen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield, NJ | 54,515 | 118 | 1.0x |
| Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 178 | 1.5x |
| South Plainfield, NJ | 24,231 | 132 | 1.1x |
| North Plainfield, NJ | 22,667 | 121 | 1.0x |
| Middlesex, NJ | 14,518 | 126 | 1.0x |
| Bradley Gardens, NJ | 14,315 | 150 | 1.2x |
| Florham Park, NJ | 13,134 | 165 | 1.4x |
| Bound Brook, NJ | 12,023 | 120 | 1.0x |
| Martinsville, NJ | 12,016 | 159 | 1.3x |
| Bernardsville, NJ | 7,871 | 162 | 1.3x |