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Middlesex County · New Jersey · Northeast · 16k residents

South River, NJ: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for South River: 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 South River is $405,200, 14% below the New Jersey median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,758/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 112 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $96,147 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings
  • Housing value: The ACS median home value in South River is $405,200, 14% below the median for ACS-covered places in New Jersey.
  • Household income: Median household income is $96,147, 1.6% below the median for ACS-covered places in New Jersey.
  • Adult education: 27.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the median for ACS-covered places in New Jersey.
  • Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.2 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 South River about 21 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 South River for residents

Compare South River side by side

Cost of living index

112

cheaper than 34% of US cities

ACS median home value

$405,200

−14% vs state median≈ US median

2-bedroom rent

$1,758/mo

cheaper than 34% of US cities

Median household income

$96,147

−1.6% vs state medianhigher than 64% of US cities

Housing momentum

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

71/100

Heating

Home prices YoY: +2.3% (top 35%)Rents MoM: +2.2% (top 3%)Home prices MoM: +0.1% (top 23%)
Momentum slowing · −17 over 2 yr

Ranks South River'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 South River's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · South River
Housing — Buy
ACS median home value$405,200
Price per sq. ft.$300
Property tax rate2.2%
Housing — Rent
1-bedroom rent$1,516/mo
2-bedroom rent$1,758/mo
Taxes
State & local income tax2.26%
Sales tax6.6%
Monthly Costs
Cost of living index112
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$96,147
Unemployment rate4.5%
Population16k
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+2.3%
Home price MoM+0.1%
Rent YoY—
Rent MoM+2.2%
Location & Access
Ocean coast21 mi
Big lake88 mi
Mountains66 mi
Major airport20 mi
Ski resort66 mi
Compare & explore

Popular comparisons

Nearby

Similar size

Real listings in South River

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 South River, NJ?
South River indexes at 112 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,758/mo and a acs median home value of $405,200.
How much does a house cost in South River?
The acs median home value in South River is $405,200, 14% below the New Jersey median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in South River?
A two-bedroom in South River rents for about $1,758/mo.