Real Estate

This New Jersey city is now America’s most expensive to live in

You’ve heard people complain about the notoriously high costs of living in New York City and San Francisco. But guess what — there’s somewhere else in the US that’s more expensive to live in.

The title now goes to none other than Jersey City, located right across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

Yes. You heard that right.

Sometimes referred to as the invisible sixth borough of New York City, rent there now averages $5,500, according to a report by the listing portal, Rent.

To compare, last month, the average rental price in Manhattan topped $5,000 for the first time in Big Apple history.

The high rental rates in Jersey City could be justified by a rise of new luxury developments that have added to the city’s skyline, luring tenants from across the Hudson.

“Price increases were driven by greater demand as people either returned to cities or settled into areas away from urban centers but within or near the same metropolitan areas,” Jon Leckie, a researcher at Rent, told The Post.

“But it was also driven by an increase in the number of luxury units that came online,” he said. “We see the majority of our inventory growth in luxury units, as developers are faced with issues related to the supply of building materials and labor. Jersey City is no exception to these trends.”

Leckie also explains how more renters have fled cities, like New York, and are opting for places like Jersey City — where there is more space, and as they become more comfortable with longer, but less frequent, commutes. Remote work continues to be a driving factor in this scenario.

A number of New Yorkers have left the city for Jersey City right across the Hudson in search of more space.
A number of New Yorkers have left the city for Jersey City right across the Hudson in search of more space. Bloomberg via Getty Images

“They stay regional,” Leckie, referring to renters, told the New York Times. “Jersey City is a proxy for New York City in a lot of ways.”

Across America, the priciest areas comprised of big cities, tech hubs and luxury waterfront spots.

According to the report, behind Jersey City was Boston with an average rent of $4,878, then the Silicon Valley city of Palo Alto, Calif., which averages $4,672 a month.

Sneaking up on all of us, Jersey City is America's priciest place to live, according to a new report.
Sneaking up on all of us, Jersey City is America’s priciest place to live, according to a new report. Getty Images

Glendale, Calif., came in third at $4,472 per month and Santa Monica, Calif., at $4,357 per month. Those Los Angeles areas were then followed by the Miami suburb of Coral Gables, Fla., at $4,310 per month, Hoboken, N.J. at $4,264 per month, and the Seattle suburb of Redmond, Wash. at $4,222 per month.

Leckie expects price growth to flatten, but remain above pre-pandemic levels as inflation continues to soar and inventory remains at an all-time low.