Signals
Short Hills
Jersey City
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs75 · Top 14%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
99 · Top 1%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
82 · Top 5%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Short Hills | Jersey City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,923 | 294,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $250,000+ | $97,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $164,794 | $60,429 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,839/sq mi | 19,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,674,100 | $566,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,126 | $2,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 86.5% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 92.6% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.3% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| 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 | 9 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 45.8 min | 40.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.01 | 12.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 72.1% | 18.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 78.4% | 39.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 2.0% | 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
Short Hills
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Jersey City
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Your best match
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Short Hills
76
Your Score
—
Area Score
Jersey City
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
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Full profiles: Short Hills, NJ · Jersey City, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology