Clifton vs New York
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $461,900 in Clifton and $777,600 in New York.
- Households earn more in Clifton ($98,237 vs $80,483 median).
- Clifton is growing faster: +1.4% since 2020 vs -2.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Clifton (28 vs 40 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Clifton, NJ | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 91,127 | 8,584,629 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.4% | -2.5% |
| People per square mile | 8,082 | 28,572 |
| Median age | 41.6 | 38.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $98,237 | $80,483 |
| Median home value | $461,900 | $777,600 |
| Home value to income | 4.7× | 9.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,711 | $1,821 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 112.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 148.6 | 148.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $84,400 | $84,400 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 33% |
| Top state income tax | 10.75% | 10.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.6% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.3 | 40.3 |
| Work from home | 13% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 9% | 44% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.1% | 8% |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 17.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 28° | 40° / 28° |
| July high / low | 85° / 70° | 85° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 30 in | 30 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 17 |
| Nights below freezing | 67 | 67 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.8 | 99.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 42% | 42% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.7% | +5.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.1% | +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: Clifton: May and September to October. New York: May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Clifton weather by month and New York weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $84,400 in Clifton and $84,400 in New York. Moving from Clifton to New York, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Clifton and New York
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Clifton and New York.
Which would you pick?
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