Moving to New Jersey
New residents have 60 days to get a New Jersey driver license and must register a car within 60 days. Prices are 8.8% above the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $4,180 in New Jersey income tax. 107,653 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from New York and Pennsylvania.
New resident checklist for New Jersey
Driver license
Within 60 days of moving, or sooner if the old license expires first; knowledge and road tests waived with a valid, non-provisional US license; must pass 6 Points of ID. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your New Jersey address.
Vehicle title and registration
Transfer title and registration within 60 days; the vehicle must then be inspected at a state or licensed private inspection facility within 14 days (temporary inspection card issued). Switch your auto insurance to a New Jersey policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No new-resident fee; MVC says sales tax isn't charged when an exemption applies (e.g., vehicle bought and used while a nonresident).
Annual registration: Based on vehicle weight class and model year; about $46.50 to $84 for newer passenger cars.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $270.
Establishing residency
Moving to New Jersey to live there makes you a resident; the MVC doesn't publish a detailed definition. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in New Jersey
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds New Jersey income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,368 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: nj.gov. Sources: nj.gov (2), nj.gov (3). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the New Jersey motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to New Jersey
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in New Jersey.
Equal salary in NJ: $84,900
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $84,900 in New Jersey to match $85,000 in New York ($100 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $85,000 | New York | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $9,870 | $9,870 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,503 | $6,503 |
| State income tax | $3,993 | $3,225 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $367 | $547 |
| Take-home pay | $64,267 | $64,856 |
Full reports for the most common moves to New Jersey: New York to New Jersey, Pennsylvania to New Jersey, Florida to New Jersey, California to New Jersey, Texas to New Jersey and Massachusetts to New Jersey.
Living in New Jersey: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), New Jersey is in the best 10 for household income, and in the worst 10 for property tax rate, overall prices, car insurance, cost to own a home, natural hazard risk and rent.
- Median rent
- $1,800/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $3,520/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $74,390 $689 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 1.89% median $9,358/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 94.4 of 100 Among the highest of U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 107,653 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in New Jersey
How New Jersey ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where New Jersey ranks best
- Top 5 Highest household incomes: $104,294 median household income (Census ACS 2024), 3rd highest of 51.
Where New Jersey ranks worst
- Bottom 5 Highest property tax rate: 1.89% of home value a year, 2nd highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest overall prices: price level 108.8 (U.S. = 100, BEA 2024), 4th highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest car insurance costs: $1,573 a year per car on average (NAIC 2023), 5th highest of 51.
- Bottom 10 Highest cost to own a home: $3,520 a month for the median home with 20% down, 6th highest of 51.
- Bottom 10 Highest natural hazard risk: FEMA risk score 94.4 of 100, 7th highest of 51.
- Bottom 10 Highest rent: $1,800 a month at the median (Census ACS 2024), 8th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new New Jersey residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 107,653 households filed their taxes in New Jersey after filing in another state the year before. New York sent the most, 43,699 households (41% of the total). New Jersey lost a net 19,370 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to New Jersey from other states peaked in 2020–21 at 109,490 households, then held roughly steady to 107,653 in 2022–23, up 14% from 2018–19. New Jersey lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −16,947, 2019–20 −12,798, 2020–21 −12,806, 2021–22 −20,820, 2022–23 −19,370.
Cost of living in New Jersey vs the U.S.
Overall prices in New Jersey are 8.8% above the U.S. average, 48th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (134.3), 34% above the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $128/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,573/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $545/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in New Jersey: take-home pay at three incomes
New Jersey taxes wages. Workers also pay about $610 a year in state payroll programs at $100,000, which the take-home figures include. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | NJ income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,215 | $40,740 | -$38 |
| $100,000 | $4,180 | $74,390 | -$689 |
| $150,000 | $7,365 | $105,606 | -$1,981 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and New Jersey income and payroll taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 6.625% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $9,358 a year in property tax, 1.89% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how New Jersey taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in New Jersey: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Trenton metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in New Jersey. About $83,000 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton | $83,000 | 103.2 | $1,744 | $436,500 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Parts of New Jersey also belong to the New York, Philadelphia and Allentown metro areas, which are centered outside New Jersey.
Housing and home insurance in New Jersey
| Measure | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,800 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $496,000 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $3,520 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $150,876 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $9,358 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,368 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in New Jersey for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in New Jersey
New Jersey's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 94.4 of 100, among the highest of U.S. counties and 45th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $346 per resident a year, and about 67% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every New Jersey county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to New Jersey come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 107,653 households moved to New Jersey from other states. The most came from New York (43,699 households), Pennsylvania (16,075) and Florida (9,047).
What are the pros and cons of living in New Jersey?
Where New Jersey ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: highest household incomes, 3rd highest of 51. Where it ranks worst: highest property tax rate, 2nd highest of 51; highest overall prices, 4th highest of 51; highest car insurance costs, 5th highest of 51; highest cost to own a home, 6th highest of 51; highest natural hazard risk, 7th highest of 51; highest rent, 8th highest of 51.
Is New Jersey expensive to live in?
Overall prices in New Jersey are 8.8% above the U.S. average (BEA price level 108.8, 2024), 48th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,800 a month and the median home is worth $496,000.
How long do I have to get a New Jersey driver license after moving?
60 days after becoming a resident. Within 60 days of moving, or sooner if the old license expires first; knowledge and road tests waived with a valid, non-provisional US license; must pass 6 Points of ID.
How long do I have to register my car in New Jersey?
60 days. Transfer title and registration within 60 days; the vehicle must then be inspected at a state or licensed private inspection facility within 14 days (temporary inspection card issued).
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to New Jersey?
No new-resident fee; MVC says sales tax isn't charged when an exemption applies (e.g., vehicle bought and used while a nonresident).
What makes me a New Jersey resident?
Moving to New Jersey to live there makes you a resident; the MVC doesn't publish a detailed definition.