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Moving to
East Franklin.
East Franklin is an unincorporated community in Somerset County, NJ. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in East Franklin
East Franklin is an unincorporated community in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. East Franklin deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
How East Franklin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to East Franklin
Based on East Franklin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,112
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $82,240 a year
- 42% of East Franklin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$77,180
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,590
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 46% above US
$2,056/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,056 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $385,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $385,900 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Somerset County is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Somerset County (county-wide)
Safety
28 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
East Franklin doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Franklin Township Police Department, Somerset County jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 403/100k · Policed by Franklin Township Police Department, Somerset County (township-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 26% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.8 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 22% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Morristown National Historical Park (19 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
East Franklin's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($2,056/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
See all the data for East Franklin →·All New Jersey cities →
Other places near East Franklin
All New Jersey guides →Moving to Somerset →
1 mi away · pop. 22,720
Rent $2,121/mo · Income $121,028
Compare with East Franklin →Moving to New Brunswick →
1 mi away · pop. 56,345
Rent $1,814/mo · Income $65,810
Compare with East Franklin →Moving to Highland Park →
2 mi away · pop. 15,121
Rent $1,873/mo · Income $104,694
Compare with East Franklin →Moving to Franklin Park →
5 mi away · pop. 13,211
Rent $2,157/mo · Income $114,946
Compare with East Franklin →Not sure East Franklin is the one?
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