Cost of living in Rockaway 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 Rockaway 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 Rockaway is 125, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Rockaway is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Rockaway ranks as the #109 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Rockaway ranks as the #4,715 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Rockaway is $564,696.
The median income in Rockaway is $100,028.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Rockaway has an overall cost of living index of 125, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Rockaway has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Rockaway ranks as #109 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Rockaway ranks as the #151 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Rockaway, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Rockaway. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Rockaway is 102.
The Groceries index in Rockaway is 100.
The Health index in Rockaway is 97.
The Housing index in Rockaway is 179.
The Transportation index in Rockaway is 95.
The Utilities index in Rockaway is 101.
| Living Expense | Rockaway | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 125 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 102 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 100 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 179 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 101 | 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 Rockaway is $564,696.
The Median Rent in Rockaway is $1,496.
The Median Income in Rockaway is $100,028.
The Home Value To Income in Rockaway is 5.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Rockaway is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Rockaway | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $564,696 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,496 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $100,028 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.6x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Rockaway | 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 | Rockaway | 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 | Rockaway | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $105.11 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $117.94 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Rockaway | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.45 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $77.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Rockaway | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $230.68 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Rockaway. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 178, 1.4x Rockaway.
Dover, NJ has a cost of living index of 116, 0.9x Rockaway.
Florham Park, NJ has a cost of living index of 165, 1.3x Rockaway.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Rockaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 178 | 1.4x |
| Dover, NJ | 18,420 | 116 | 0.9x |
| Florham Park, NJ | 13,134 | 165 | 1.3x |
| Oakland, NJ | 12,700 | 139 | 1.1x |
| Franklin Lakes, NJ | 11,011 | 216 | 1.7x |
| Lincoln Park, NJ | 10,901 | 124 | 1.0x |
| Succasunna, NJ | 9,866 | 134 | 1.1x |
| Boonton, NJ | 8,803 | 129 | 1.0x |
| White Meadow Lake, NJ | 8,706 | 131 | 1.0x |
| Wharton, NJ | 7,254 | 123 | 1.0x |