Auburn vs Clifton
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $461,900 in Clifton and $547,900 in Auburn.
- Auburn has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 40°F.
- Clifton gets far more snow: 30 inches a year vs 6.
- Clifton is growing faster: +1.4% since 2020 vs -2.4%.
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; New Jersey's top rate is 10.75%.
Side by side
| Auburn, WA | Clifton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 86,301 | 91,127 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.4% | +1.4% |
| People per square mile | 2,918 | 8,082 |
| Median age | 36.0 | 41.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 36% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $97,884 | $98,237 |
| Median home value | $547,900 | $461,900 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,786 | $1,711 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.1 | 112.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.3 | 148.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,300 | $84,400 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | None | 10.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.57% | 6.6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.5 | 28.3 |
| Work from home | 14% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 9% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6% | 7.1% |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 38° | 40° / 28° |
| July high / low | 77° / 57° | 85° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 6 in | 30 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 4 | 17 |
| Nights below freezing | 25 | 67 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 95.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 56% | 42% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.3% | +5.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +24.6% | +45.1% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Auburn: May to September. Clifton: May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Auburn weather by month and Clifton weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $83,300 in Auburn and $84,400 in Clifton. Moving from Auburn to Clifton, you would need about $76,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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