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Cost of living, pay and housing

40.78° N · 74.18° W · GEOID 3467590

Silver Lake

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

Limited data population under 5,000

New JerseySilver Lake, NJSilver LakeSilver Lake

The short answer

Silver Lake is home to 3,917 people. Median household income is $82,469 a year and median rent is $1,448 a month, 21.1% 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 $448,300, about 5.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,448
6% above the median place
Median household income
$82,469
3% above the median place
Median home value
$448,300
40% above the median place
Unemployment
8.7%
78% 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.

What stands out about Silver Lake

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 11.3% a year while rent rose 3.3%, so pay gained on rent more than in 95% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • 50% of residents were born outside the US, more than in 99% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,664 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 96% of places its size.
  • Renters occupy 59% of homes, more than in 97% of places its size.
  • Half the homes were built before 1948, older housing than in 94% of places its size.
01

Moving to Silver Lake

Essex County loses about 10.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in32,807
Moved out39,590
Net−6,783

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Union County, NJ3,3175,043−1,726
Hudson County, NJ4,6612,673+1,988
Passaic County, NJ2,2341,939+295
Kings County, NY2,9651,175+1,790
Bergen County, NJ1,9801,989−9
New York County, NY1,5841,122+462

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$97K
Leavers$92K

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

Who moves here
5.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.7% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Essex County report $96,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $92,400.
Income you would need
$57,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,448 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,112 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $448,300.
Getting to work
39 minutes each way on average; 16.1% work from home; 9.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Norridge, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-10.6
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out7
$92,357
31% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$96,557
37% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSilver LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.3%7% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.7%16% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-10.6below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$96,55737% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$92,35731% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 31.0%, 39% below the median place.

Silver Lake21.1%
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
$57,920
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.1%
3% above the median place
Home price to income
5.4x
43% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$61,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Silver Lake, $1,448 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 Silver Lake, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Green Hill, TN16.9% vs 21.1%$18,700Compare
Birch Bay, WA16.9% vs 21.1%$9,300Compare
Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI17.8% vs 21.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Silver Lake.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Silver Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
31.0%
39% below the median place
Median year built1
1948
2% below the median place
Homeownership1
40.5%
39% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSilver LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4486% above
Rent to income121.1%3% above
Property tax rate12.1%134% above
Home price to income15.4x43% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,23338% above
HUD area median income4County figure$138,40029% above
Property tax paid (median)1$9,558193% above
Median home value1$448,30040% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.8%82% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure58.2%13% above
Homeownership140.5%39% below
Renters paying 30%+131.0%39% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,11266% above
Vacant homes1County figure5.1%28% below
Median year built119482% below
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 39 min, 55% above the median place.

Mean commute1
39 min
55% above the median place
Commutes by transit1
9.8%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
15.1%
41% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSilver LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$82,4693% above
Income per person1$37,0338% below
Unemployment1County figure8.7%78% above
Average annual pay6County figure$91,23838% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.2%14% below
Jobs6County figure353,038134% above
Poverty rate115.1%41% above
Mean commute139 min55% above
Works from home1County figure16.1%29% above
Commutes by transit19.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 49.8%, above the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
49.8%
above the median place (median 8.8%)
Median age1
47.3
21% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
88.2%
4% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher87.7% −5%
Household size2.6 +2%
Bachelor's or higher30.1% −6%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSilver LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population13,9176646th largest
Median age147.321% above
Bachelor's or higher130.1%6% below
High school or higher187.7%5% below
Household size12.62% above
Born abroad149.8%above (median 8.8%)
No health insurance1County figure11.9%86% above
Homes with broadband188.2%4% below
05

Life in Silver Lake

182 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k7.7 3.6×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k51.1 4.6×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −95%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi52.1 248.3×

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.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.5 −1%
Shops29.5 −3%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.1 +0%
Doctors' offices and clinics22.5 +11%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

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

Public schools11
244
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students11
144,268
above the median place (median 4,897)
Child care centers per 10k8
3.1
35% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureSilver LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure244above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure144,268above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure13.810% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.51% below
Shops per 10k8County figure29.53% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.10% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure22.511% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k97.7261% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k951.1358% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.195% below
Transit stops per sq mi952.1above (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure182above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 10.6, 83% 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 Silver Lake. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
10.6
83% below the median place
Heat wave risk13
99.0
10% above the median place
Good air days14
42.2%
38% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSilver LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure86°F1% below
January average low12County figure23°F9% below
Average temperature12County figure54°F3% below
Annual precipitation12County figure48.6 in11% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure97.76% above
Hurricane risk13County figure91.830% above
Tornado risk13County figure94.917% above
Wildfire risk13County figure10.683% below
Heat wave risk13County figure99.010% above
Median air quality index14Metro figure5323% above
Good air days14Metro figure42.2%38% below
08

Silver Lake in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, down from 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,448/mo (2024)$1,850/mo$1,510 to $2,250/mo+4.1%
Median household income$82,469 (2024)$109,500$92,500 to $129,500+4.8%
Median home value$448,300 (2024)$648,000$470,000 to $893,000+6.3%

The median home would be worth 5.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.4 now.

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

09

Places like Silver Lake

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

PlaceRentIncome
Norridge, IL$1,433$87,807Compare
Gardnerville Ranchos, NV$1,533$87,785Compare
Waterford, WI$1,374$82,404Compare
Santa Clara, OR$1,706$88,344Compare
Santa Clara, ORWaterford, WIGardnerville Ranchos, NVNorridge, ILSilver Lake, NJSilver LakeNorridgeGardnerville RanchosWaterfordSanta ClaraSilver LakeNorridgeGardnerville RanchosWaterfordSanta Clara

Common questions

Is Silver Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 11.3% a year while rent rose 3.3%, so pay gained on rent more than in 95% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. 50% of residents were born outside the US, more than in 99% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 13 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Silver Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.1% 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 $448,300.

What salary do you need to live in Silver Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $57,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Silver Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Norridge, IL, Gardnerville Ranchos, NV, Waterford, WI and Santa Clara, OR.

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 Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 Silver Lake with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Silver Lake itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/silver-lake-essex-county-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Silver Lake, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/silver-lake-essex-county-new-jersey/

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