What it's like to live in Morristown
Morristown is a small city in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Morristown deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, cold winters, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Cold winters
- Above-average rainfall
How Morristown compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Morristown
Based on Morristown's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,548
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $90,960 a year
- 37% of Morristown renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$113,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $56,760
- Homes cost 4.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 61% above US
$2,274/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,274 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 are steep, with a median around $567,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $567,600 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Morris County is 4.4%, 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.
Morris County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 27% below US
265 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 822/100k · Morristown Police Department · 2024 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°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 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 61% above US
58% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 (4 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Morristown's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,274/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Morristown
All New Jersey guides →Moving to Florham Park →
4 mi away · pop. 13,564
Rent $3,109/mo · Income $158,696
Compare with Morristown →Moving to Parsippany →
5 mi away · pop. 21,345
Rent $1,742/mo · Income $99,405
Compare with Morristown →Not sure Morristown is the one?
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