What it's like to live in Roselle
Roselle is a small city in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, 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. Roselle deals with county unemployment above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Above-average rainfall
How Roselle compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Roselle
Based on Roselle's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,134
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $62,680 a year
- 47% of Roselle renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$75,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,990
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 11% above US
$1,567/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,567 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 $379,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $379,900 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Union County is 5.5%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Union County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 41% below US
194 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 933/100k · Roselle Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 27% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.1 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; 10% take public transit; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 25% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 Thomas Edison National Historical Park (9 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Roselle's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,567/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who dread long commutes.
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