Places › New Jersey › Belleville

Living in Belleville, NJ

Suburb in New Jersey

Belleville is a suburb in New Jersey, home to about 38,000 people, with 14.3 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Belleville a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 27 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Easy flying: EWR is 7 mi away
  • Lots of culture: museums, zoos and attractions nearby
  • Big job market: about 14.3 million people live within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Higher taxes: about $2,267 state income tax per resident, 2.46% property tax
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Few dog parks: 76 within 9 mi
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $553k, and rent is $2,760 a month

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Belleville ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
38,000
14.3 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
42°F / 84°F
Average daily highs · 28″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$553k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$2,760/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
113
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$2,267
State income tax per resident · 2.46% property tax
Safety
0.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
11 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding
Top-rated hospitals
27
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 14 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
31%
14 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
EWR
7 mi away

Living in Belleville: common questions

What is the cost of living in Belleville?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $553k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,760 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 113, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Belleville?

New Jersey collects about $2,267 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.46% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Belleville safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Belleville?

Public schools in Belleville test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 14 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Belleville?

Belleville has cold winters: winter days average around 42°F and summer days around 84°F, with roughly 28″ of snow a year.

Does Belleville get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.38 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Belleville?

The nearest major airport is EWR, about 7 mi away.

How Belleville scores

Each bar compares Belleville with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeMajor metro Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietDense & urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundWalk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nightlife Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingExpensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceVery fast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingBelow average
💸Low taxesPoor
💼Job marketExcellent
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationGood
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CultureExcellent
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyBelow average
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Belleville

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Clifton, NJSuburb68 $630k$2,840/moVery safe Garfield, NJSuburb67 $591k$2,840/moVery safe Bloomfield, NJSuburb67 $643k$2,760/moVery safe City of Orange, NJSuburb64 $393k$2,760/moNo crime data West Orange, NJSuburb70 $675k$2,760/moVery safe West New York, NJSuburb61 $675k$3,030/moVery safe

Nearby

Bloomfield, NJSuburb · 2 mi away67 $643k$2,760/moVery safe Nutley, NJSuburb · 2 mi away71 $667k$2,760/moVery safe East Orange, NJSuburb · 3 mi away61 $462k$2,760/moSafe Montclair, NJSuburb · 3 mi away71 $939k$2,760/moVery safe Kearny, NJSuburb · 3 mi away70 $564k$3,370/moVery safe City of Orange, NJSuburb · 4 mi away64 $393k$2,760/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in New Jersey.

Is Belleville right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.