What it's like to live in Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a mid-size city in New Jersey with schools with smaller class sizes than the national average and public transit that many commuters actually use. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Elizabeth deals with home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
How Elizabeth compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Elizabeth
Based on Elizabeth's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,046
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $60,920 a year
- 52% of Elizabeth renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$89,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $44,930
- Homes cost 6.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,523/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,523 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $449,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $449,300 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 53% above US
6.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.6%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
345 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2410/100k · Elizabeth Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% take public transit; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 59% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
38 public schools inside the boundary
There are 38 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 Ellis Island Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument (8 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Elizabeth's strongest point is public transit that many commuters actually use; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,523/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Elizabeth
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