There are few places where you can access the same level of career, culture, and a certain vibrancy of life that you will get living in a major metropolitan area such as New York City. Therein lies one of the primary disadvantages. While there could be no better area in the world to work, ‘play’, and experience life, one of the biggest downsides to residing in New York City is its high cost of living. With this article, I will explore whether commuting to New York City for work while living in New Jersey is the best option for you. To do this, I will be highlighting the advantages against disadvantages of living in New Jersey and commuting to New York City for work.

Financial Benefits: A Breath of Fresh Air for Your Wallet

There are numerous advantages of living in New Jersey. However, one of the most important benefits of staying in New Jersey is the possibility of significant savings. Housing is a good example. The median price of a house in NJ is half as much as the house in NY City. Therefore, you can afford to buy a house featuring more space, a yard, or even a garage, which is impossible to have in a city. The rent of apartments in NJ is also lower compared to the apartments in the same square area in NYC.

Although commuting costs money, they can be offset by dramatic savings on the cost of housing. New Jersey, moreover, has a lower sales tax than New York City, so this means a portion of your work income can be spent on other necessities, on putting away for a rainy day, or even frittered away on occasional splurges.

Taxing Considerations: Navigating the Maze

Taxes are another big factor to consider when thinking about the financial impact of living in New Jersey and working in New York City. If you live in New Jersey, you won’t have to pay New York City income tax but you will have to pay federal income tax and New Jersey State income Tax. Fortunately for New Jersey residents, they get a credit for taxes they pay to another state, so in this situation, there is no double taxation.

The flip side: even with a generous financial aid package, many kids will face a higher tax burden than they would rent in NYC, due to New Jersey’s notoriously high property taxes.

Transportation Options: Ferries, Trains, and the Open Road

Commuting to New York from New Jersey is part of life. Thankfully, New Jersey has a decent public transport system and there are several ways to help you reach your job in Manhattan:

Pulling into Pennsylvania Station, New Jersey Transit trains (known as NJ Transit) are a fast and reliable service that commutes directly into Manhattan. Several rail lines meet in Penn Station connecting New Jersey towns directly with Manhattan.

Ferries: Great for scenic commuting and escaping long lines on trains into downtown Manhattan. The trip can take longer than trains though, but ferries are a nice way to commute in the mornings and wind down in the afternoons.

Driving: Perhaps the quickest and most efficient mode of transportation, especially if you live near major highways. However, you need to allow extra time for traffic, especially during rush hour, which will add significant amounts of time to your commute. Also, remember to take into account parking. Manhattan can be extraordinarily expensive.

The right one for you will depend on money, time, and taste.

Quality of Life: Finding Your Oasis

Ok, so money is not up to you, and you have to live in New Jersey. But what other stuff about your life can you control? Here are a few possible edges:

Not So Metropolitan: Compared with New York City, many New Jersey towns are more suburban with a slower pace of living, which might be best for families or those seeking a slower pace of life.

Green Spaces: New Jersey has beaches, mountains, and parks, which makes our state a perfect place for outdoor activities and getting away from the concrete jungle!

Another advantage of New Jersey is its system of public schools. Excellent Schools is a big draw for families with children attending school.

Considering the Drawbacks: The Other Side of the Coin

Many advantages are living in New Jersey however you must also consider the disadvantages:

RESOURCE:

While there are many advantages of living in New Jersey, one must also think about the disadvantages:
Striking through words creates a stronger impact. Paraphrasing these inside quotes into human-sounding text has still retained the same word count:
The weight of living in New Jersey does have many positives but there are also several disadvantages to consider:

ASE:

The advantages of living in New Jersey are obvious but you should not ignore the disadvantages:

Commute Times: How long will your commute be to work considering you don’t live next to a train station or ferry terminal? Allow a little for delays and disruptions in addition to time you think you can tolerate.

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