Cost of living in Dover research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Dover is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New Jersey, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Dover is 118, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dover is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Dover ranks as the #78 cheapest in New Jersey out of 251.
Dover ranks as the #4,687 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Dover is $275,400.
The median income in Dover is $69,434.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dover has an overall cost of living index of 118, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Dover has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New Jersey's index of 111.
The standard of living in Dover ranks as #78 most affordable out of the 251 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Dover ranks as the #173 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Dover, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dover. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dover is 104.
The Groceries index in Dover is 115.
The Health index in Dover is 102.
The Housing index in Dover is 141.
The Transportation index in Dover is 111.
The Utilities index in Dover is 92.
Living Expense | Dover | New Jersey | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 118 | 111 | 100 | |
Services | 104 | 104 | 100 | |
Groceries | 115 | 104 | 100 | |
Health | 102 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing | 141 | 130 | 100 | |
Transportation | 111 | 106 | 100 | |
Utilities | 92 | 108 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Jersey, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Dover is $275,400.
The Median Rent in Dover is $1,591.
The Median Income in Dover is $69,434.
The Home Value To Income in Dover is 4.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dover is 0.27x.
Statistic | Dover | New Jersey | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $275,400 | $355,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,591 | $1,436 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $69,434 | $89,703 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.0x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Dover | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.09 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.38 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $20.56 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.96 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $45.37 | $39.05 |
Item | Dover | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.21 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.94 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.37 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.52 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.27 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.27 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.06 | $2.34 |
Item | Dover | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $92.33 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $99.57 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $116.16 | $99.13 |
Item | Dover | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.45 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $53.07 | $50.07 |
Item | Dover | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $147.86 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.87 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dover. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 170, 1.4x Dover.
Oakland, NJ has a cost of living index of 138, 1.2x Dover.
Florham Park, NJ has a cost of living index of 165, 1.4x Dover.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dover |
---|---|---|---|
Westfield, NJ | 30,950 | 170 | 1.4x |
Oakland, NJ | 12,773 | 138 | 1.2x |
Florham Park, NJ | 12,655 | 165 | 1.4x |
Martinsville, NJ | 11,980 | 155 | 1.3x |
Lincoln Park, NJ | 10,877 | 124 | 1.1x |
Succasunna, NJ | 9,530 | 134 | 1.1x |
White Meadow Lake, NJ | 9,069 | 129 | 1.1x |
Boonton, NJ | 8,770 | 126 | 1.1x |
Wharton, NJ | 7,175 | 117 | 1.0x |
Rockaway, NJ | 6,587 | 126 | 1.1x |