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Is New Brunswick, NJ a Good Place to Live?
New Brunswick is a mid-sized city of 55,718 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $57,138 and a 6.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: New Brunswick stands out for solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether New Brunswick is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New Brunswick 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: 112.5New Brunswick's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Brunswick costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | New Brunswick, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $289,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,754 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 20.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,138 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageNew Brunswick's violent crime rate is 698.6 per 100,000 residents — 84% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
New Brunswick is served primarily by New Brunswick School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | New Brunswick, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | New Brunswick School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 9 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 66.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Brunswick sees average highs of 40.3°F in January and 86.5°F in July, with 49.5 inches of annual precipitation and 29.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Brunswick, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 40.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Brunswick, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,718 | — |
| Median Age | 24.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 45.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 14.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 8.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 6.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: