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
Jersey City
San Jose
Opportunity
79 · Top 7%
vs75 · Top 14%
Growth
76 · Top 5%
vs62 · Top 29%
Climate
71 · Top 49%
vs89 · Top 11%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 30%
vs49 · Bottom 12%
Access
99 · Top 22%
vs99 · Top 10%
Economic stability
58 · Top 40%
vs69 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Jersey City | San Jose | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 294,078 | 990,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,710 | $146,427 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,429 | $65,945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 19,940/sq mi | 5,564/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $566,900 | $1,233,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,007 | $2,669 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 27.9% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.8% | 47.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.6% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,657 | 4,891 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.2 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 39.1% | 239.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.6" | 13.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 40.2 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Jersey City
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
San Jose
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Jersey City
67
Your Score
66
Area Score
San Jose
67
Your Score
64
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Jersey City, NJ · San Jose, CA · How this is calculated: methodology