Cost of living in Hackensack 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 Hackensack 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 Hackensack is 134, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Hackensack is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Hackensack ranks as the #152 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Hackensack ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Hackensack is $462,319.
The median income in Hackensack is $82,212.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Hackensack has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Hackensack has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Hackensack ranks as #152 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Hackensack ranks as the #108 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Hackensack, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Hackensack. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Hackensack is 128.
The Groceries index in Hackensack is 115.
The Health index in Hackensack is 119.
The Housing index in Hackensack is 163.
The Transportation index in Hackensack is 114.
The Utilities index in Hackensack is 102.
| Living Expense | Hackensack | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 134 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 128 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 119 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 163 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 114 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 102 | 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 Hackensack is $462,319.
The Median Rent in Hackensack is $1,794.
The Median Income in Hackensack is $82,212.
The Home Value To Income in Hackensack is 5.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Hackensack is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Hackensack | New Jersey | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $462,319 | $564,432 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,794 | $1,653 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $82,212 | $101,050 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 5.6x | 5.6x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.2x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Hackensack | New Jersey | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.69 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $13.68 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $29.4 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $34.94 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $64.07 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Hackensack | New Jersey | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.87 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.97 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $5.21 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $12.57 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $11.87 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.96 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Hackensack | New Jersey | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $128.97 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $162.24 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $149.64 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Hackensack | New Jersey | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.55 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $86.43 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Hackensack | New Jersey | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.27 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $200.67 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Hackensack. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Garfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x Hackensack.
Bergenfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 137, 1.0x Hackensack.
Lodi, NJ has a cost of living index of 132, 1.0x Hackensack.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Hackensack | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield, NJ | 32,502 | 130 | 1.0x | 
| Bergenfield, NJ | 28,269 | 137 | 1.0x | 
| Lodi, NJ | 25,946 | 132 | 1.0x | 
| Eastchester, NY | 20,519 | 167 | 1.2x | 
| Mamaroneck, NY | 19,840 | 166 | 1.2x | 
| Scarsdale, NY | 18,005 | 279 | 2.1x | 
| Port Washington, NY | 17,613 | 194 | 1.4x | 
| Ridgefield Park, NJ | 13,167 | 140 | 1.0x | 
| Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 12,067 | 138 | 1.0x | 
| River Edge, NJ | 12,024 | 159 | 1.2x |