USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Jersey City, NJ vs. Miami, FL

Median rent is $1,902 a month in Jersey City, NJ and $1,657 in Miami, FL. Household income is $94,813 against $59,390. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Jersey City, NJ buys what $102,701 buys in Miami, FL
+$2,701 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,902 $1,657 -12.9%
Median household income Annual
$94,813 $59,390 -37.4%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$534,500 $475,200 -11.1%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
24.1% 33.5% 9.4 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
108.9 111.8 +2.7%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$76,100 $66,300 -12.9%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,370 $1,485 -37.3%
Population City proper
289,691 446,663 +54.2%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Jersey City
$100,000 $102,701 +2.7%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,657
Miami, FL · 14.8% below Jersey City, NJ
Higher household income
$94,813
Jersey City, NJ · 59.6% above Miami, FL
Same standard of living
$102,701
$100,000 in Jersey City, NJ needs $102,701 in Miami, FL
Price level gap
2.9 points
108.9 in NJ against 111.8 in FL
Rent burden gap
9.4 points
Miami, FL versus Jersey City, NJ, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
91.8%
Jersey City, NJ · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Occupation wages in both metros

May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.

Occupation Jersey City, NJ median Miami, FL median vs.
Retail Salespersons $38,280 $34,330 -10.3%
Registered Nurses $119,720 $91,380 -23.7%
General and Operations Managers $157,000 $105,640 -32.7%
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $42,840 $34,180 -20.2%
Fast Food and Counter Workers $35,420 $29,600 -16.4%
Waiters and Waitresses $47,610 $36,070 -24.2%
Customer Service Representatives $49,590 $39,560 -20.2%
Accountants and Auditors $105,650 $80,920 -23.4%

Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.

More comparisons with Jersey City, NJ

More comparisons with Miami, FL

Open this pair in the interactive tool · All comparisons

Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Jersey City, NJ converted into Miami, FL at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Jersey City, NJ · Miami, FL