States › New Jersey › Rockaway

Is Rockaway, NJ expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 18 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,751same as U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$115,457about $9,621/month · 33% higher than U.S. average
🔑 House price$448,10035% higher than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 55% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.9 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $70,040 a year. That is $34 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other New Jersey cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of New Jersey. It is number 49 of 291 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Rockaway
$1,751
Ramblewood
$2,503
Franklin Center
$3,270
North Caldwell
$3,673
Kingston Estates
$2,092
Strathmore
$1,757
Bridgewater Center
$2,937

How much do households earn in Rockaway?

Under $25k
10.1%
$25k–50k
22.2%
$50k–100k
23.8%
$100k–150k
18.5%
$150k+
23.8%

Share of households by yearly income. 42.3% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Rockaway

SizeRockawayU.S. average
1 bedroom$1,605$1,324
2 bedrooms$2,063$1,509

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Rockaway overall?

Everyday prices in New Jersey overall are 9% above the U.S. average (index 108.8, U.S. = 100).

Housing
134
Goods (food, clothes…)
107
Utilities
114
Other services
104
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Rockaway, so the New Jersey figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Rockaway

🏛️ Property tax$10,000+a year · 2.23% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$93a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Rockaway

Commute to work23.9 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree38.3%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home60.4%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line6.2%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment6.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rockaway?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $1,358 a month less.

Renting
$1,751
Owning
$3,109

Owning assumes a typical $448,100 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $44,810 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Rockaway, NJ?

Renting in Rockaway costs a median of about $1,751 a month in 2026, including utilities. The New Jersey median is $2,240.

How much do I need to make to live in Rockaway?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $70,040 a year, or $34 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Rockaway cheap or expensive?

Rockaway is rated Cheap: rent takes 18.2% of the typical household income of $115,457. It ranks 49th cheapest of 291 New Jersey cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Rockaway?

The median homeowner in Rockaway pays $10,000+ a year in property taxes, about 2.23% of the median home value.

Is Rockaway more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in New Jersey are 9% above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Rockaway?

The median home value in Rockaway is $448,100, about 3.9 times the typical yearly household income.

6,613 people live in Rockaway. Numbers are typical (middle) values.