Jersey City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Carteret
Jersey City
Opportunity
56 · Bottom 49%
vs75 · Top 14%
Growth
66 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Carteret | Jersey City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,496 | 294,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,862 | $97,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,591 | $60,429 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,806/sq mi | 19,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $405,800 | $566,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,032 | $2,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.7% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 2,657 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 9.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 46.4% | 39.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.6" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.0 min | 40.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.20 | 12.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.6% | 18.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.1% | 39.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.8% | 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
Carteret
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Jersey City
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Carteret
64
Your Score
60
Area Score
Jersey City
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Carteret, NJ · Jersey City, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology