Cost of living in Morris Plains 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 Morris Plains 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 Morris Plains is 155, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Morris Plains is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Morris Plains ranks as the #209 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Morris Plains ranks as the #5,809 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Morris Plains is $717,350.
The median income in Morris Plains is $149,623.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Morris Plains has an overall cost of living index of 155, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Morris Plains has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Morris Plains ranks as #209 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Morris Plains ranks as the #51 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Morris Plains, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Morris Plains. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Morris Plains is 99.
The Groceries index in Morris Plains is 103.
The Health index in Morris Plains is 98.
The Housing index in Morris Plains is 279.
The Transportation index in Morris Plains is 96.
The Utilities index in Morris Plains is 104.
| Living Expense | Morris Plains | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 155 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 99 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 279 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 104 | 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 Morris Plains is $717,350.
The Median Rent in Morris Plains is $2,686.
The Median Income in Morris Plains is $149,623.
The Home Value To Income in Morris Plains is 4.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Morris Plains is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Morris Plains | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $717,350 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,686 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $149,623 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.8x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Morris Plains | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.44 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.15 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $25.03 | $18 |
| Haircut | $29.17 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $40.36 | $45.56 |
| Item | Morris Plains | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.64 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.55 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.74 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.21 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.66 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.66 | $3.7 |
| Item | Morris Plains | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $105.11 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $117.94 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Morris Plains | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $77.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Morris Plains | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $230.68 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Morris Plains. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Morristown, TN has a cost of living index of 84, 0.5x Morris Plains.
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 178, 1.1x Morris Plains.
Dover, NJ has a cost of living index of 116, 0.7x Morris Plains.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Morris Plains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morristown, TN | 30,983 | 84 | 0.5x |
| Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 178 | 1.1x |
| Dover, NJ | 18,420 | 116 | 0.7x |
| Madison, NJ | 16,464 | 173 | 1.1x |
| Florham Park, NJ | 13,134 | 165 | 1.1x |
| Oakland, NJ | 12,700 | 139 | 0.9x |
| Glen Rock, NJ | 12,082 | 165 | 1.1x |
| Martinsville, NJ | 12,016 | 159 | 1.0x |
| Lincoln Park, NJ | 10,901 | 124 | 0.8x |
| Succasunna, NJ | 9,866 | 134 | 0.9x |