CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.49° N · 74.47° W · GEOID 3419130

East Franklin

Somerset County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

New JerseyEast Franklin, NJEast FranklinEast Franklin

The short answer

East Franklin is home to 11,070 people. Median household income is $115,458 a year and median rent is $2,056 a month, 21.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $385,900, about 3.3x annual median household income.

The story in East Franklin is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 25.3% to 21.4% of income. Also notable: Household income growth is 12.4% a year, against 6.1% a year in its closest peers.

23OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

East Franklin scores better than 23% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 232nd of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%54
Economy 20%56
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%14
Education 10%41
Commute 10%12
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,056
51% above the median place
Median household income
$115,458
44% above the median place
Median home value
$385,900
21% above the median place
Unemployment
5.8%
19% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to East Franklin

Somerset County loses about 0.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in18,482
Moved out18,750
Net−268

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Middlesex County, NJ4,8303,200+1,630
Union County, NJ2,2511,223+1,028
Morris County, NJ1,121919+202
Hunterdon County, NJ6141,202−588
Mercer County, NJ576765−189
New York County, NY484

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$114K
Leavers$128K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Somerset County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
10.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Somerset County report $114,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $127,800, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$82,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,056 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,537 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $385,900.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 12.6% work from home; 3.4% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Lexington, NE matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
10.6%
84% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$127,772
82% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$114,065
62% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast FranklinAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year110.6%84% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.5%25% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-0.950% below
Income of households moving in7County figure$114,06562% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$127,77282% above
02

What it costs to live here

Compared with the 24 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Madison Park, NJ, Haverstraw, NY and West Haverstraw, NY), money left after rent here is higher: $86,300 against a typical $60,500.

East Franklin21.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$82,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.4%
5% above the median place
Home price to income
3.3x
12% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$85,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Franklin, $2,056 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like East Franklin, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Franklin on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Lexington, NE8817.1% vs 21.4%n/aCompare
Liberty, NY7416.4% vs 21.4%n/aCompare
Schuyler, NE7215.7% vs 21.4%n/aCompare
Othello, WA7216.1% vs 21.4%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Franklin.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Franklin? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
48.3%
27% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.7%
85% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$6,466
98% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast FranklinAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,05651% above
Rent to income121.4%5% above
Property tax rate11.7%85% above
Home price to income13.3x12% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,62362% above
HUD area median income4County figure$154,80044% above
Property tax paid (median)1$6,46698% above
Median home value1$385,90021% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.3%97% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.4%10% above
Homeownership148.3%27% below
Renters paying 30%+141.7%18% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,53736% above
Vacant homes1County figure2.1%70% below
Median year built119671% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 33 min, 32% above the median place.

Mean commute1
33 min
32% above the median place
Poverty rate1
5.9%
45% below the median place
Median household income1
$115,458
44% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment5.8% +19%
Income per person$37,733 −6%
Works from home12.6% +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast FranklinAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$115,45844% above
Income per person1$37,7336% below
Unemployment15.8%19% above
Average annual pay6County figure$112,98271% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure6.2%68% above
Jobs6County figure192,37428% above
Poverty rate15.9%45% below
Mean commute133 min32% above
Works from home112.6%1% above
Commutes by transit1County figure3.4%299% above
04

Who lives here

Households average 3.38 people, larger than than in 95% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 287 New Jersey places we track.

Born abroad1
40.6%
360% above the median place
Household size1
3.4
35% above the median place
No health insurance1
18.6%
191% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age30.5 −22%
High school or higher77.9% −16%
Homes with broadband96.8% +5%
Bachelor's or higher28.0% −13%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEast FranklinAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,0703810th largest
Median age130.522% below
Bachelor's or higher128.0%13% below
High school or higher177.9%16% below
Household size13.435% above
Born abroad140.6%360% above
No health insurance118.6%191% above
Homes with broadband196.8%5% above
05

Life in East Franklin

24 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 94% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the highest of 287 New Jersey places we track.

87 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.6 −65%
Playgrounds per 10k10.8 +15%
Grocery stores per 10k2.7 +28%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.9 −92%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Great Kills Park 19 miles
  • Morristown National Historical Park 21 miles
  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park 24 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.3 +7%
Shops28.8 −5%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.7 +15%
Doctors' offices and clinics27.6 +37%
Child care centers2.4 +4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
18.5
40% below the median place
Students per teacher12
10.5
32% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
27.6
37% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast FranklinAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure84above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure51,276above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure10.532% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.37% above
Shops per 10k8County figure28.85% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.715% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure27.637% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.44% above
Parks per 10k93.665% below
Playgrounds per 10k910.815% above
Grocery stores per 10k92.728% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.992% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1018.540% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1024above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure87above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 42.2%, 38% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached East Franklin. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days15
42.2%
38% below the median place
Median air quality index15
53
23% above the median place
Wildfire risk14
35.4
42% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast FranklinAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure86°F1% below
January average low13County figure22°F13% below
Average temperature13County figure53°F3% below
Annual precipitation13County figure49.0 in12% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure90.92% below
Hurricane risk14County figure83.518% above
Tornado risk14County figure72.311% below
Wildfire risk14County figure35.442% below
Heat wave risk14County figure88.02% below
Median air quality index15Metro figure5323% above
Good air days15Metro figure42.2%38% below
08

East Franklin in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, East Franklin does better than 56% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 47%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,056/mo (2024)$2,660/mo$2,180 to $3,240/mo+4.4%
Median household income$115,458 (2024)$151,000$127,500 to $178,500+4.6%
Median home value$385,900 (2024)$552,000$401,000 to $761,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 3.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like East Franklin

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Milliken, CO$2,102$107,500Compare
Royse City, TX$2,078$116,660Compare
Anna, TX$2,105$105,593Compare
Princeton, TX$2,239$105,200Compare
Princeton, TXAnna, TXRoyse City, TXMilliken, COEast Franklin, NJEast FranklinMillikenRoyse CityAnnaPrincetonEast FranklinMillikenRoyse CityAnnaPrinceton

Places built like East Franklin

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how East Franklin performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Franklin, NJ21.4%12.4%/yrn/a
Madison Park, NJ23.1%3.8%/yrn/aCompare
Haverstraw, NY33.7%3.5%/yr3.8%Compare
West Haverstraw, NY25.1%5.9%/yr3.0%Compare
Elmsford, NY25.4%5.8%/yr-1.4%Compare
North Fair Oaks, CA26.5%6.1%/yrn/aCompare
Hawaiian Gardens, CA26.7%9.1%/yr-5.5%Compare

Common questions

Is East Franklin a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 23 out of 100, better than 23% of the places we rate and 232nd of 287 in New Jersey. On cost, space and class size it scores 70 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Franklin expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $385,900.

What salary do you need to live in East Franklin?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $82,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to East Franklin?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Milliken, CO, Royse City, TX, Anna, TX and Princeton, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Franklin with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Franklin itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-franklin-new-jersey

Citytistics. “East Franklin, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-franklin-new-jersey/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.