Is New Jersey or North Dakota a better state to live in?

Based on our composite scoring, North Dakota ranks higher overall. New Jersey is #19 and North Dakota is #7 out of 50 states. New Jersey wins 4 of 11 categories, while North Dakota wins 7.

How does New Jersey compare to North Dakota in cost of living?

New Jersey has a cost of living index of 109, while North Dakota's is 89 (100 = national average). North Dakota is more affordable.

Which state is safer, New Jersey or North Dakota?

New Jersey has 195 violent crimes per 100K residents, vs 267 in North Dakota. New Jersey has the lower crime rate.

What are the median incomes in New Jersey vs North Dakota?

New Jersey's median household income is $97,126, compared to $72,583 in North Dakota.

New Jersey vs North Dakota: Side-by-Side (2026)

New Jersey

#19·Northeast

65.9Composite Score

VSNorth Dakota leads

North Dakota

#7·Midwest

76.6Composite Score

4NJ wins

7ND wins

Category Overlay

New JerseyNorth Dakota

Category Scores

💰 EconomyND +12.6

55.1

67.7

🛡️ SafetyNJ +20.5

83.0

62.5

🏥 HealthNJ +16.3

81.6

65.3

🎓 EducationNJ +14.3

95.9

81.6

💼 Fiscal HealthND +36.6

33.2

69.8

📈 GrowthND +26.5

27.2

53.7

🏠 AffordabilityND +40.3

44.4

84.7

🌿 EnvironmentND +1.1

37.4

38.5

🏞️ Outdoor AccessND +32.6

6.5

39.1

🚇 TransportationNJ +4.1

54.4

50.3

🎭 LivabilityND +17.1

30.2

47.3

Key Metrics Comparison

Metric	New Jersey	North Dakota	Winner
Population	9,290,841	783,926	NJ
Median Income	$97,126	$72,583	NJ
Unemployment	4.8%	2.2%	ND
Violent Crime Rate(per 100K)	195	267	NJ
Cost of Living(100 = national avg)	109	89	ND
HS Graduation Rate	91%	89%	NJ
Life Expectancy	79.5 yr	79 yr	NJ
Pop Growth	+0.7%	+0.8%	ND

New Jersey vs North Dakota: How Do They Compare?

New Jersey ranks #19 overall with a composite score of 65.9, earning a B grade. North Dakota sits at #7 with 76.6 and a A grade. North Dakota has the edge overall, winning 7 of 11 categories.

On the economic front, New Jersey has 4.8% unemployment and a $97,126 median income, while North Dakota reports 2.2% unemployment and $72,583 median income.

For safety, New Jersey's violent crime rate is 195 per 100K compared to 267 in North Dakota. Cost of living favors North Dakota with an index of 89 vs 109.

Explore These States

New Jersey Full Profile65.9 North Dakota Full Profile76.6 Compare Other States→

Data Sources

📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Dec 2025)📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 📎FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023 📎America's Health Rankings, 2025 📎WalletHub/NAEP, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 📎Cook Political Report, PVI 2024 📎Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025 📎ALEC Rich States Poor States, 2025 📎WalletHub Tax Burden Study, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau / FHFA, 2025 📎BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023 📎EPA AirData, Median AQI by County 2024 📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 📎FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration 2024 📎FCC / BroadbandNow, Broadband Access 2025 📎National Park Service API, 2024 📎USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), 2024 📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Commuting)📎FHWA Highway Statistics, 2023 📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 📎EIA Natural Gas Prices, 2024 📎DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2023 📎BEA Regional Price Parities (Food), 2023 📎NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 2023-24 📎EDFacts ACGR Graduation Rates, 2021-22 📎NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), 2022-23 📎BEA GDP by State (SAGDP9), 2023 📎NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, FY2023 📎Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2022 📎Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50, FY2023 📎Pew Charitable Trusts, FY2022 📎S&P/Moody's via Ballotpedia, 2025 📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES (May 2023)📎IRS Statistics of Income, State-to-State Migration 2022-2023