Elizabeth vs Miami
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $449,300 in Elizabeth and $518,100 in Miami.
- Households earn more in Elizabeth ($66,555 vs $62,462 median).
- Miami has the warmer winter: January highs of 74°F vs 40°F.
- Elizabeth gets far more snow: 32 inches a year vs 0.
- Miami is growing faster: +10.8% since 2020 vs +3.2%.
- Florida has no state income tax on wages; New Jersey's top rate is 10.75%.
Side by side
| Elizabeth, NJ | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 141,675 | 489,812 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.2% | +10.8% |
| People per square mile | 11,501 | 13,607 |
| Median age | 35.8 | 39.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,555 | $62,462 |
| Median home value | $449,300 | $518,100 |
| Home value to income | 6.8× | 8.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,523 | $1,758 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 114.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 148.6 | 155.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $84,400 | $85,600 |
| Homeowners | 26% | 31% |
| Top state income tax | 10.75% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.6% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.7 | 27.3 |
| Work from home | 6% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 11% | 7% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 19.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 26° | 74° / 61° |
| July high / low | 87° / 69° | 88° / 78° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 57 in |
| Snowfall per year | 32 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 28 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 80 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.5 | 99.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 42% | 53% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.3% | +1.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53.7% | +67.7% |
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: Elizabeth: April to June and August to October. Miami: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Elizabeth weather by month and Miami 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 Elizabeth and $85,600 in Miami. Moving from Elizabeth to Miami, you would need about $76,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Elizabeth and Miami
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Elizabeth and Miami.
Which would you pick?
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