Cost of Living in Fort Lee, NJ

An Overview of Cost of Living in Fort Lee, NJ

Understanding the cost of living in Fort Lee can help future residents assess whether their current financial situation aligns with the expenses they will encounter. It enables them to plan for potential changes in their budget and lifestyle. The Fort Lee cost of living index is 141, which is 41% higher than the national average. The cost of living index is calculated by taking into account multiple categories, which encompass both the cost of everyday expenditures and larger expenses as well.

If you're in pursuit of an economical living environment, Fort Lee may not fit the bill, as it ranks among the most expensive places to reside in the United States. Just a minority of regions exhibit a cost of living that is more than 20% higher than the national average, and, unfortunately, Fort Lee falls within this bracket.

Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Fort Lee, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 92.4% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.

The things you purchase regularly, like clothes, haircuts, movie tickets and gym memberships, can make a big dent in your budget and make up 33% of the cost of living index. Unfortunately in Fort Lee, these items will cost you 26.8% more than what's considered the norm, making it a more expensive place to call home.

The relentless increase in grocery prices is a noteworthy trend. In the last two years, grocery costs have experienced an upward trajectory of over 10%. Unfortunately, Fort Lee is no exception, where grocery prices are 13.4% above the national average.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Fort Lee?

Locals have the inside scoop on their city. So, we polled 10 residents in Fort Lee to learn how they view the cost of living. We asked how they felt about the cost of living in their area, and if they thought that prices were increasing, decreasing or staying the same. The verdict? 20% find it reasonable with decreasing prices, but 80% think it's quite pricey, with prices that continue to rise.

Is Fort Lee Affordable?

Is Fort Lee an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Fort Lee is 88.6% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 101.2% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Fort Lee has a median household income of $88,457, which is 59.9% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Fort Lee?

Groceries: Grocery expenditures have undergone notable escalation over the last 2-3 years. In some markets, the cost of food products has surged by more than 20%, while others have experienced only modest increments. These fluctuations in food costs can have a significant impact on the overall cost of living in any region. In Fort Lee, the groceries index registers 13.4% higher than the national average.

Taxes: Regions that impose higher taxes, including sales and income taxes, can contribute to an increased cost of living. Higher taxes for everyday necessities such as clothing, utilities and food inevitably leads to higher expenditures. Additionally, a higher income tax rate can also play a role in elevating the overall cost of living. In Fort Lee, the prevailing sales tax rate starts at 6.625%, and income tax rates kick off at 1.4%.

Housing: Elevated demand for housing within coveted locales has the propensity to escalate both property values and rental rates, thereby serving as a primary catalyst for an augmented cost of living. Conversely, areas witnessing diminished housing demand, particularly within less desirable environs, often experience an inversely proportional effect, leading to price reductions and subsequently contributing to a more modest cost of living. In Fort Lee, the housing index is 92.4% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Fort Lee cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.