Morristown vs New York

Which is the better fit for you?

Morristown, NJ
70
Area Score
Top 14% nationally
New York, NY
61
Area Score
Top 43% nationally

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Morristown receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Morristown to New York

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 112.6 against 112.6 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$705 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $2,910 in New York against $2,205 in Morristown.
The median home
37% more
$777,600 in New York against $567,600 in Morristown.
The weather you would swap
Winters 5°F milder
Normal January lows are 28°F in New York against 23°F in Morristown; July highs are 85°F against 85°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Morristown
New York
Opportunity: Morristown is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
78 · Top 11%
vs
54 · Bottom 46%
Growth: Morristown is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
63 · Top 23%
vs
60 · Top 29%
Climate: New York is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs
72 · Top 39%
Physical resilience: New York is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs
75 · Top 30%
Housing affordability: Morristown is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
77 · Top 19%
vs
40 · Bottom 10%
Schools: Morristown is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
66 · Top 29%
vs
54 · Top 44%
Access: New York is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 44%
vs
99 · Top 16%
Economic stability: Morristown is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
73 · Top 16%
vs
42 · Bottom 24%

Measured values

MetricMorristownNew YorkSource period
Population20,4538,483,8442024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$121,340 — more favorable$80,4832024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$73,143 — more favorable$51,8442024 ACS 5-Year
Population density7,031/sq mi28,236/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$567,600$777,6002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,274$1,821 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,205 — more favorable$2,910FY2026
Cost of living index112.6112.62023
Homeownership rate36.7%32.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.9% — more favorable5.3%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+1.8% — more favorable−0.4%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher58.1% — more favorable41.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate8.0% — more favorable17.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)7428,51312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.6 — more favorable3.412 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+60.9%+54.6%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high85°F85°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low23°F28°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation44.9"49.5"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport18 mi9 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute26.1 min — more favorable43.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age34.238.22024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools101,8422024-25 school year
Students per teacher10.9 — more favorable11.92024-25 school year
Math proficiency44.5%62.9%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency66.2%64.8%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility42.0%78.6%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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

New Jersey and New York do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Morristown

Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.

New York

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Morristown
—
Morristown: Your Score
70
Area Score
New York
—
New York: Your Score
61
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Morristown, NJ · New York, NY · How this is calculated: methodology