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
San Jose
Jersey City
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs79 · Top 7%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs76 · Top 5%
Climate
89 · Top 11%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
49 · Bottom 12%
vs58 · Bottom 30%
Access
99 · Top 10%
vs99 · Top 22%
Economic stability
69 · Top 7%
vs58 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | San Jose | Jersey City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 990,138 | 294,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $146,427 | $97,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,945 | $60,429 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,564/sq mi | 19,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,233,200 | $566,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,669 | $2,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.8% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.3% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4,891 | 2,657 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 239.7% | 39.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.5" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.4 min | 40.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 34.7 | 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
San Jose
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
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.
San Jose
67
Your Score
64
Area Score
Jersey City
67
Your Score
66
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: San Jose, CA · Jersey City, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology