Cost of living in Metuchen 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 Metuchen 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 Metuchen is 135, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Metuchen is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Metuchen ranks as the #154 cheapest in New Jersey out of 251.
Metuchen ranks as the #5,435 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Metuchen is $467,400.
The median income in Metuchen is $141,915.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Metuchen has an overall cost of living index of 135, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Metuchen has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than New Jersey's index of 111.
The standard of living in Metuchen ranks as #154 most affordable out of the 251 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Metuchen ranks as the #97 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in Metuchen, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Metuchen. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Metuchen is 114.
The Groceries index in Metuchen is 109.
The Health index in Metuchen is 103.
The Housing index in Metuchen is 195.
The Transportation index in Metuchen is 107.
The Utilities index in Metuchen is 100.
Living Expense | Metuchen | New Jersey | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 135 | 111 | 100 | |
Services | 114 | 104 | 100 | |
Groceries | 109 | 104 | 100 | |
Health | 103 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing | 195 | 130 | 100 | |
Transportation | 107 | 106 | 100 | |
Utilities | 100 | 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 Metuchen is $467,400.
The Median Rent in Metuchen is $1,812.
The Median Income in Metuchen is $141,915.
The Home Value To Income in Metuchen is 3.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Metuchen is 0.15x.
Statistic | Metuchen | New Jersey | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $467,400 | $355,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,812 | $1,436 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $141,915 | $89,703 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.3x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Metuchen | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.03 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.59 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $17.73 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.73 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $36.4 | $39.05 |
Item | Metuchen | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.87 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.67 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.41 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.09 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.4 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.19 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.16 | $2.34 |
Item | Metuchen | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $101.33 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $94.5 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $113.15 | $99.13 |
Item | Metuchen | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.26 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.66 | $50.07 |
Item | Metuchen | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $174.26 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.87 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Metuchen. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Perth Amboy, NJ has a cost of living index of 113, 0.8x Metuchen.
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 170, 1.3x Metuchen.
South Plainfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 126, 0.9x Metuchen.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Metuchen |
---|---|---|---|
Perth Amboy, NJ | 55,046 | 113 | 0.8x |
Westfield, NJ | 30,950 | 170 | 1.3x |
South Plainfield, NJ | 24,251 | 126 | 0.9x |
Woodbridge, NJ | 21,314 | 122 | 0.9x |
Colonia, NJ | 18,776 | 127 | 0.9x |
Iselin, NJ | 17,684 | 122 | 0.9x |
Avenel, NJ | 17,132 | 117 | 0.9x |
Highland Park, NJ | 14,947 | 128 | 0.9x |
Bradley Gardens, NJ | 14,798 | 144 | 1.1x |
Middlesex, NJ | 14,513 | 123 | 0.9x |