Cost of living in Short Hills 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 Short Hills 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 Short Hills is 259, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Short Hills is 2.6x higher than the national average.
Short Hills ranks as the #260 cheapest in New Jersey out of 260.
Short Hills ranks as the #6,435 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Short Hills is $2,245,599.
The median income in Short Hills is $250,001.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Short Hills has an overall cost of living index of 259, which is 2.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Short Hills has a cost of living index that's 2.1x higher than New Jersey's index of 122.
The standard of living in Short Hills ranks as #260 most affordable out of the 260 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Short Hills ranks as the #0 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Short Hills, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Short Hills. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Short Hills is 106.
The Groceries index in Short Hills is 100.
The Health index in Short Hills is 96.
The Housing index in Short Hills is 619.
The Transportation index in Short Hills is 107.
The Utilities index in Short Hills is 110.
| Living Expense | Short Hills | New Jersey | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 259 | 122 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 108 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 100 | 104 | 100 | |
| Health | 96 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 619 | 159 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 110 | 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 Short Hills is $2,245,599.
The Median Rent in Short Hills is $3,259.
The Median Income in Short Hills is $250,001.
The Home Value To Income in Short Hills is 9.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Short Hills is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Short Hills | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,245,599 | $564,432 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,259 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $250,001 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.0x | 5.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Short Hills | 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 | Short Hills | 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 | Short Hills | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.11 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $115.59 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $124.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Short Hills | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.41 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $82.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Short Hills | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $236.04 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.61 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Short Hills. 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, 0.7x Short Hills.
Summit, NJ has a cost of living index of 183, 0.7x Short Hills.
Madison, NJ has a cost of living index of 173, 0.7x Short Hills.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Short Hills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 178 | 0.7x |
| Summit, NJ | 22,512 | 183 | 0.7x |
| Madison, NJ | 16,464 | 173 | 0.7x |
| Roselle Park, NJ | 13,965 | 122 | 0.5x |
| New Providence, NJ | 13,577 | 160 | 0.6x |
| Florham Park, NJ | 13,134 | 165 | 0.6x |
| Glen Rock, NJ | 12,082 | 165 | 0.6x |
| Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 12,067 | 138 | 0.5x |
| Martinsville, NJ | 12,016 | 159 | 0.6x |
| Lincoln Park, NJ | 10,901 | 124 | 0.5x |