The Aporia · NJ no longer much cheaper than NYC — after cost of living skyrockets $41K

NJ no longer much cheaper than NYC — after cost of living skyrockets $41K

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APA MLA Chicago

O'Neill, N. (2026, October 7). NJ no longer much cheaper than NYC — after cost of living skyrockets $41K. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/07/us-news/cost-of-living-in-nj-has-risen-by-more-than-40k-for-families-since-the-pandemic/

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Quick Summary

The cost of living in New Jersey has increased by $40,800 for families since the pandemic, making it no longer significantly cheaper than moving from New York City. This rise is primarily due to a 57% increase in childcare costs and a 37.5% surge in housing prices, alongside a 55.5% jump in healthcare expenses. Kristyna Frantz, who recently moved her family from Washington Heights to Fanwood, New Jersey, noted that they are now paying more for child care than if they had stayed in the city, highlighting the financial burden on families with children.

Written by AI on 2026-10-07, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

The cost of living in New Jersey has risen dramatically by $40,800 since the start of the pandemic, making it no longer significantly cheaper to live there compared to New York City, according to recent data. The primary factors driving this increase are childcare expenses, housing costs, and healthcare prices, which have collectively surged nearly 40% over six years in New Jersey, outpacing similar increases of 25% in New York and 30% in Pennsylvania. Kristyna Frantz, a mother who recently moved from Washington Heights to Fanwood, New Jersey, reported that her family now pays more for child care and commuting costs than they did when living in the city. Her monthly childcare expenses alone are $5,000 for three children, nearly $1,000 less per month than if universal childcare were available.

Written for “Cost Of Living Soars In New Jersey” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

44%

7 of 16 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

withheld

no quote in the article backed the model's score

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Economy/Business

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Natalie O'Neill

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All 37 articles by Natalie O'Neill →

Narrative

Claims (16 extracted, 7 hedged)

Moving from in the Garden State with kids won’t save you much green. asserted

Moving → move → green

The cost of living in New Jersey has risen by $40,800 for families since the pandemic — making it no longer significantly cheaper to move from the Big Apple across the Hudson River, according to new data. uncertain

it → live → data

A massive spike in the cost of childcare, housing and healthcare is breaking the bank for families in New Jersey — where costs have soared by nearly 40% over the past six years, according to the Living Wage Institute. uncertain

costs → break → Institute

By contrast, the cost of living rose 25% in New York and 30% in Pennsylvania during the same time period, according to the data. uncertain

cost → rise → data

“At this phase, it’s more expensive for us to raise kids in New Jersey than New York,” Kristyna Frantz, who moved from Washington Heights to Fanwood, New Jersey in 2024, told Bloomberg. asserted

who → ’ → Bloomberg

“We’re paying more in child care, commuting costs and our mortgage is more than our rent in the city. asserted

mortgage → pay → city

’s crazy to think about the cost savings we could have had if we could have universal child care for all three kids and just pay for after-school care. uncertain

we → ’ → care

Frantz said her family is forking over $5,000 for childcare per month for three kids — and that they would be paying $1,000 less if they still lived in the city, where their oldest was enrolled in a free city program. asserted

oldest → say → program

Indeed, childcare in the Garden State was the biggest financial burden on families with two kids, soaring a whopping 57% statewide since 2021, according to the data. uncertain

childcare → soar → data

The price of housing in New Jersey, meanwhile, rose 37.5% since 2021 while healthcare increased 55.5%, according to the data. uncertain

healthcare → rise → data

Overall, the cost of living in New Jersey rose annually by 6.7%—well higher than the 4.5 % national average. asserted

cost → rise → average

Prices are soaring in the Garden State in part because the housing market got more competitive during the pandemic, Bloomberg reported. asserted

Bloomberg → soar → pandemic

“Pre-pandemic it was affordable everywhere in New Jersey for a family to lay down roots outside of the city,” said Jeffrey Otteau, chief economist of his namesake real estate firm. asserted

Otteau → lay → firm

“Today, if your household is making $150,000 or less, it’s not a safe haven for affordability.” asserted

it → make → affordability

Overall, the state’s childcare and healthcare cost growth more than tripled since 2023, according to the report. uncertain

growth → triple → report

“For many young families living in New Jersey today, child care is their biggest expense,” in some cases topping their mortgage or rent payment, said Sharon Levine, campaign director for childcare advocacy group Start Strong NJ. asserted

Levine → live → NJ

NJ no longer much cheaper than NYC — after cost of living skyrockets $41K

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Claims (16 extracted, 7 hedged)