Cost of living in Garfield 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 Garfield 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 Garfield is 130, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Garfield is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Garfield ranks as the #132 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Garfield ranks as the #4,989 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Garfield is $575,221.
The median income in Garfield is $75,701.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Garfield has an overall cost of living index of 130, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Garfield has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Garfield ranks as #132 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Garfield ranks as the #128 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Garfield, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Garfield. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Garfield is 107.
The Groceries index in Garfield is 101.
The Health index in Garfield is 96.
The Housing index in Garfield is 179.
The Transportation index in Garfield is 107.
The Utilities index in Garfield is 113.
| Living Expense | Garfield | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 130 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 96 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 179 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 113 | 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 Garfield is $575,221.
The Median Rent in Garfield is $1,612.
The Median Income in Garfield is $75,701.
The Home Value To Income in Garfield is 7.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Garfield is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Garfield | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $575,221 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,612 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $75,701 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.6x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Garfield | 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 | Garfield | 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 | Garfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.11 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $115.59 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $124.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Garfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.41 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $82.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Garfield | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $236.04 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Garfield. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Clifton, NJ has a cost of living index of 127, 1.0x Garfield.
Passaic, NJ has a cost of living index of 126, 1.0x Garfield.
Hackensack, NJ has a cost of living index of 134, 1.0x Garfield.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Garfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton, NJ | 89,247 | 127 | 1.0x |
| Passaic, NJ | 69,651 | 126 | 1.0x |
| Hackensack, NJ | 45,768 | 134 | 1.0x |
| Lodi, NJ | 25,946 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Elmwood Park, NJ | 21,287 | 135 | 1.0x |
| Eastchester, NY | 20,519 | 167 | 1.3x |
| Scarsdale, NY | 18,005 | 279 | 2.1x |
| Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 12,067 | 138 | 1.1x |
| Wallington, NJ | 11,825 | 133 | 1.0x |
| Dobbs Ferry, NY | 11,397 | 173 | 1.3x |