Insights » New Jersey cities with highest and lowest household expenses

2023 Report: Cities in New Jersey where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest

How does living in the Yellowhammer state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about New Jersey’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in New Jersey, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,727 in bills per month.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 197 cities and towns across New Jersey, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in New Jersey and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on New Jersey’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

New Jersey residents pay $2,727 in household bills a month

The average New Jersey household pays $2,727 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

New Jersey residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 3rd out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. California ranks 2nd, with annual monthly expenses of $2,838, and Massachusetts ranks 4th, at $2,656.

New Jersey’s household expenses, on average, are 33.2% higher than the national average of $2,046.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. New Jersey households spend 35% of their income on household bills. 

Annually, New Jersey residents pay $105 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in New Jersey by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about New Jersey

• Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,727 per month
• State Bill Pay Market Size: $105 billion
• doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 3 out of 50
• Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 35%
• Difference from the National Average: 33.2% higher

Housing bill category drives New Jersey’s high monthly bill expenses

The average New Jersey household pays $2,727 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses don’t drive savings, with both being considerably higher than the national average. The average mortgage payment in New Jersey is $2,312, and average rent is $1,496, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.

Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for New Jersey residents. The average auto loan bill in New Jersey is $498 a month, compared to the national average of $467.

Compared to the national average, utilities are also a notably higher expense for residents of New Jersey. The average household in the state pays $467 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $351.

Health insurance, by contrast, is slightly more affordable in New Jersey. While US residents on average spend $120 per month on health insurance, in New Jersey they spend just $117.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average New Jersey Household Bill Spending

Princeton tops the list of most expensive cities for New Jersey’s household bills

Residents of Princeton pay the highest household bills in the state of New Jersey, at an average of $4,052 per month. Hoboken comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $3,851 on average per month.

In proportion to household income, however, Princeton’s bills are costlier than ones in Hoboken. While Princeton’s monthly bill basket makes up 33% of average household income there, Hoboken’s bill basket accounts for just 30% of average household income in that area.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

10 Most Expensive New Jersey Cities for Household Bills

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Manchester Township is the most affordable New Jersey city for household bills

Out of 197 cities and towns, Manchester Township is the most affordable place in New Jersey, with residents paying $1,654 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 46% of local income in Manchester Township.

Camden comes in at the second most affordable town or city in New Jersey, with residents paying $1,713 per month on average.

Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in New Jersey are Pleasantville ($1,930 per month), Browns Mills ($1,942 per month), and Pennsauken ($2,005 per month).

10 Most Affordable New Jersey Cities for Household Bills

Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare New Jersey’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.