?WhereToHQ

Middlesex County · New Jersey · Northeast · 15k residents

Highland Park, NJ: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Highland Park: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the New Jersey median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.

Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.

The acs median home value in Highland Park is $471,700, right at the New Jersey median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,025/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 120 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $104,694 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings
  • Housing value: The ACS median home value in Highland Park is $471,700, right around the median for ACS-covered places in New Jersey.
  • Household income: Median household income is $104,694, 7.1% above the median for ACS-covered places in New Jersey.
  • Adult education: 69.8% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 82.7% above the median for ACS-covered places in New Jersey.
  • Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.5 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A researched local story is not published for this city yet. The signals below are the verified profile context.

  • Scale: A smaller city in the profile data, with fewer than 50,000 residents.
  • Setting: The profile places Highland Park about 24 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
  • Climate signal: The profile records 205 sunny days and 29 inches of annual snow.
  • Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 30 and an average commute of 32 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Highland Park for residents

Compare Highland Park side by side

Cost of living index

120

cheaper than 25% of US cities

ACS median home value

$471,700

≈ state mediancheaper than 31% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$2,025/mo

cheaper than 20% of US cities

Median household income

$104,694

+7.1% vs state medianhigher than 72% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Highland Park's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

81/100

Heating

Rents YoY: +7.2% (top 7%)Home prices YoY: +3.1% (top 27%)Rents MoM: +1.1% (top 12%)
Momentum holding · over 2 yr

Ranks Highland Park's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.

$a year

Adjusted by Highland Park's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Highland Park
Housing — Buy
ACS median home value$471,700
Price per sq. ft.$300
Property tax rate2.2%
Housing — Rent
1-bedroom rent$1,770/mo
2-bedroom rent$2,025/mo
Taxes
State & local income tax2.26%
Sales tax6.6%
Monthly Costs
Cost of living index120
Groceries index106
Utilities$180/mo
Transit pass$100/mo
Gas price$3.25/gal
Healthcare index103
Childcare (per child)$1,350/mo
Economy & Jobs
Median household income$104,694
Unemployment rate4.5%
Population15k
Quality of Life
Crime index25/100
School rating8.3/10
Walkability30/100
Disaster risk98/100
Avg. commute32 min
Climate
Sunny days / year205 days
July high87°F
January low23°F
Annual snowfall29 in
Market Trends
Home price YoY+3.1%
Home price MoM0.0%
Rent YoY+7.2%
Rent MoM+1.1%
Location & Access
Ocean coast24 mi
Big lake86 mi
Mountains62 mi
Major airport19 mi
Ski resort62 mi
Compare & explore

Popular comparisons

Nearby

Similar size

Real listings in Highland Park

Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers
What is the cost of living in Highland Park, NJ?
Highland Park indexes at 120 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,025/mo and a acs median home value of $471,700.
How much does a house cost in Highland Park?
The acs median home value in Highland Park is $471,700, right at the New Jersey median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Highland Park?
A two-bedroom in Highland Park rents for about $2,025/mo.