Is Kearny, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Kearny is a small city of 41,157 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $81,307 and a 5.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Kearny stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Kearny is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Kearny 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: 112.5Kearny's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Kearny costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Kearny, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $404,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,557 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 47.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $81,307 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageKearny's violent crime rate is 120.8 per 100,000 residents — 68% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Kearny is served primarily by Kearny. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Kearny, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Kearny | — |
| Elementary Schools | 5 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 83.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Kearny sees average highs of 39.4°F in January and 86.8°F in July, with 50.4 inches of annual precipitation and 28.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Kearny, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.4°F |
| Average High — July | 86.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Kearny, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,157 | — |
| Median Age | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 32.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 49.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Kearny
Kearny, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: