Living in Manchester, NJ
Small city in New Jersey
Manchester is a small city in New Jersey, home to about 46,000 people, with 1.0 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Manchester a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Safe: violent crime is 0.07× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Strong healthcare: 6 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 83°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 9 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Few dog parks: 1 within 9 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Higher taxes: about $2,267 state income tax per resident, 1.77% property tax
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Manchester ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Manchester: common questions
What is the cost of living in Manchester?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $569k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,040 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 113, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Manchester?
New Jersey collects about $2,267 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.77% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Manchester safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.07× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Manchester?
Public schools in Manchester test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 11 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Manchester?
Manchester has cold winters: winter days average around 44°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 24″ of snow a year.
Does Manchester get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and strong wind: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.27 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Manchester?
The nearest major airport is EWR, about 49 mi away.
How Manchester scores
Each bar compares Manchester 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).
Places like Manchester
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).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in New Jersey.
Is Manchester right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.