Signals
Budd Lake
Jersey City
Opportunity
76 · Top 13%
vs75 · Top 14%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
80 · Top 13%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
86 · Top 1%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Budd Lake | Jersey City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,650 | 294,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,154 | $97,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,420 | $60,429 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,956/sq mi | 19,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $456,100 | $566,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,402 | $2,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.8% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.3% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.6% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 84°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.8" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 40.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.33 | 12.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.9% | 18.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.4% | 39.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.5% | 65.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Budd Lake
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Jersey City
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Your best match
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Budd Lake
76
Your Score
—
Area Score
Jersey City
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Budd Lake, NJ · Jersey City, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology