Is Hackensack, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Hackensack is a small city of 45,758 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $79,133 and a 6.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Hackensack stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Hackensack is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Hackensack city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Hackensack's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Hackensack costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Hackensack, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $353,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,750 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 36.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $79,133 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageHackensack's violent crime rate is 246.4 per 100,000 residents — 35% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Hackensack is served primarily by Hackensack School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Hackensack, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Hackensack School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 86.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Hackensack sees average highs of 39.9°F in January and 87.0°F in July, with 46.3 inches of annual precipitation and 29.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Hackensack, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.9°F |
| Average High — July | 87.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Hackensack, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,758 | — |
| Median Age | 40.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 29.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 39.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 20.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 23.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 13.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Hackensack
Hackensack, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: