Cost of living in Kearny 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 Kearny 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 Kearny is 128, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kearny is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Kearny ranks as the #124 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Kearny ranks as the #4,889 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kearny is $571,988.
The median income in Kearny is $83,212.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kearny has an overall cost of living index of 128, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Kearny has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Kearny ranks as #124 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Kearny ranks as the #136 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Kearny, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kearny. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kearny is 105.
The Groceries index in Kearny is 100.
The Health index in Kearny is 98.
The Housing index in Kearny is 178.
The Transportation index in Kearny is 110.
The Utilities index in Kearny is 109.
| Living Expense | Kearny | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 128 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 105 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 100 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 178 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 110 | 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 Kearny is $571,988.
The Median Rent in Kearny is $1,649.
The Median Income in Kearny is $83,212.
The Home Value To Income in Kearny is 6.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kearny is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Kearny | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $571,988 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,649 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $83,212 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.9x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Kearny | 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 | Kearny | 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 | Kearny | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.11 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $115.59 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $124.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Kearny | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.41 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $82.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Kearny | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $236.04 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kearny. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Newark, NJ has a cost of living index of 112, 0.9x Kearny.
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 178, 1.4x Kearny.
Secaucus, NJ has a cost of living index of 155, 1.2x Kearny.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kearny |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark, NJ | 307,188 | 112 | 0.9x |
| Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 178 | 1.4x |
| Secaucus, NJ | 21,437 | 155 | 1.2x |
| Harrison, NJ | 19,599 | 126 | 1.0x |
| Rutherford, NJ | 18,748 | 144 | 1.1x |
| North Arlington, NJ | 16,368 | 128 | 1.0x |
| Florham Park, NJ | 13,134 | 165 | 1.3x |
| Glen Rock, NJ | 12,082 | 165 | 1.3x |
| Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 12,067 | 138 | 1.1x |
| Lincoln Park, NJ | 10,901 | 124 | 1.0x |