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Rutgers University-Livingston Campus, NJ vs Swarthmore, PA

Rutgers University-Livingston Campus

New Jersey

vs

Swarthmore

Pennsylvania

Across 35 directional measures we can compare, Rutgers University-Livingston Campus leads on 17 and Swarthmore on 18. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 22% higher in Rutgers University-Livingston Campus, while median household income is higher in Swarthmore.

Median gross rent
$1,871$1,532
Rutgers University-Livingston Campus is 22% higher
Median household income
$111,549$152,361
Rutgers University-Livingston Campus is 27% lower
Median home value
$462,900$633,800
Rutgers University-Livingston Campus is 27% lower
New JerseyPennsylvaniaSwarthmore, PARutgers University-Livingston Campus, NJSwarthmoreSwarthmore

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 1 of 1 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Swarthmore, PAComposite 73.4 / 100
97
69569997427672

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureRutgers University-Livingston CampusSwarthmoreAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$1,871$1,532
Rent to income120.1%12.1%
Property tax rate12.1%n/a
Home price to income14.2x4.2x
Prices vs US average2112.6102.5
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$2,623$1,860
HUD area median income4$154,800$122,700
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$9,712$10,001
Median home value1$462,900$633,800
Home prices, 1-year change56.1%4.7%
Home prices, 5-year change562.2%52.9%
Homeownership163.6%76.0%
Renters paying 30%+148.1%32.4%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,877$3,777
Vacant homes13.2%5.6%
Median year built119741949
Jobs and income
Median household income1$111,549$152,361
Income per person1$8,531$73,250
Unemployment17.6%6.9%
Average annual pay6$85,564$74,852
Pay growth, 1 year63.8%2.3%
Jobs6431,665219,222
Poverty rate18.6%10.2%
Mean commute111 min26 min
Works from home120.3%21.1%
Commutes by transit15.8%7.9%
People
Population13,2586,550
Population change since 20207n/a0.4%
Median age119.928.3
Bachelor's or higher194.0%81.5%
High school or higher1100.0%99.1%
Household size12.82.3
Born abroad117.5%11.5%
No health insurance17.2%4.6%
Homes with broadband194.3%97.1%
Moving
Moved here in the past year126.4%10.3%
Moved from another state123.4%4.9%
Net movers per 1,000 people8-7.7-4.1
Income of households moving in8$87,059$97,243
Income of households moving out8$95,604$91,137
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k920.519.4
Shops per 10k927.626.8
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k92.94.0
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k922.619.7
Child care centers per 10k92.33.5
Parks per 10k103.136.6
Playgrounds per 10k100.03.0
Grocery stores per 10k100.04.6
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1015.37.6
Libraries per 10k106.16.1
Named paths and bike trails108.30.9
Transit stops per sq mi104.57.1
Nearest National Park Service site11n/a10.1
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11n/a10
National Register listings12763
Founded or incorporated13n/a1893
Safety
Violent crime per 100k14n/a0
Property crime per 100k14n/a333
Schools
Public schools152132
Public school students15129,255926
Students per teacher1511.913.8
Climate
July average high1687°F87°F
January average low1624°F25°F
Average temperature1654°F55°F
Annual precipitation1647.7 in47.0 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1797.892.9
Hurricane risk1792.688.1
Tornado risk1794.592.5
Wildfire risk1779.727.7
Heat wave risk1796.597.6
Median air quality index183644
Good air days1881.5%65.2%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Rutgers University-Livingston Campus $74,840, Swarthmore $61,280 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. 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. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. 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.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Wikidata · Wikimedia Foundation (CC0) · Retrieved 2026-11
  14. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  15. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  16. 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
  17. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  18. 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).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

Keep comparing

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