Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Newark

You think about moving to Newark but want to get additional information on the city, overall quality of life, job prospects, income level, cultural influences and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Newark in the following chapters.

Living in Newark – Overview

Advantages of Living in Newark

1. Decent public transport in Newark
2. Newark is not as crowded as NYC
3. You can easily get around by car
4. You can get around in Newark by bicycle in an efficient manner
5. Newark is one of the most tolerant cities in New Jersey
6. People are open and honest
7. You can make really good friends in Newark
8. Property prices in Newark are much lower than in NYC
9. Easier to find a place to stay than in NYC
10. Living costs in Newark are lower than in other major cities
11. You can meet people from many different cultures
12. You can try many interesting foods in Newark
13. Many decent shopping opportunities in and around Newark
14. Newark can be an excellent commuter city
15. Many excellent schools and colleges near Newark
16. You can enjoy solid nightlife in Newark
17. Decent supply of material goods in Newark
18. You can experience real seasons in Newark
19. Newark is close to the coast
20. Many recreational spaces to relax in Newark
21. Newark has an international airport
22. Newark has pretty decent air quality
23. Newark has a decent art scene

Decent public transport in Newark

One advantage of moving to Newark is that the city has pretty good public transport and you will therefore not urgently need a car to get around in an efficient manner as long as you live close enough to the city center where distances are short and buses and other means of transport are pretty reliable.

Newark is not as crowded as NYC

While people living in NYC often have to deal with lots of stress and the city is also pretty congested and crowded, Newark is a rather relaxed place in this regard since there are far fewer people and you will have much more space to be on your own in public without running into people on a regular basis.

You can easily get around by car

Since Newark is not the most crowded city, traffic is not a big problem yet and you will be able to get around by car without getting stuck in traffic jams during rush hour as much as you would in case you move to Los Angeles or other more crowded and busy cities.

You can get around in Newark by bicycle in an efficient manner

If you don’t want to rely on your car or on public transport to get around, you will still be able to get from A to B in an efficient manner by just using your bicycle since Newark is a bike-friendly city and you can therefore use your bicycle for short distances and can save lots of money and also do good for our environment in the long run.

Newark is one of the most tolerant cities in New Jersey

Another upside to moving to Newark is that it is also a pretty tolerant place where people are welcome from all over the world and you can therefore meet many interesting people and have exciting discussions and can learn a lot about life in general.

People are open and honest

People in New Jersey are also considered pretty honest and real and even though they may tell you the harsh truth, you can still benefit from this quite a lot since people will give you their honest opinion and in case you are on the wrong track, you may be able to switch gears and may be able to succeed thanks to this critical feedback in the long run.

You can make really good friends in Newark

Since people in Newark are honest and reliable, you can also make really good friends in this region since you can really count on your social contacts in Newark during difficult times of your life when you urgently need emotional support to overcome your problems.

Property prices in Newark are much lower than in NYC

Another benefit of moving to Newark is that even though Newark is pretty close to NYC, property prices are still far lower and you can therefore safe lots of money on housing by just moving to Newark while you can still enjoy many amenities as people living in NYC at the same time.

Easier to find a place to stay than in NYC

While people moving to San José or other popular places often have a pretty hard time finding a decent place to stay and have to search for many months, you will have an easier time moving to Newark since overall demand for housing will be lower and chances are that you would not have to spend as much time and money in this regard as in other more popular cities.

Living costs in Newark are lower than in other major cities

You should also know that while living costs are still above national average, they are still lower in Newark compared to New York City and you will therefore not have to spend as much money on drinks and various other things of daily life and can spend more money on other stuff.

You can meet people from many different cultures

Since Newark is a culturally diverse place, you can also talk to many people from all over the world and by listening to their stories, you will appreciate your own life much more and chances are that you will become a more tolerant person in the long run.

You can try many interesting foods in Newark

Thanks to many different cultural influences, you can also try many delicious foods from all over the world and this can be great since you will get lots of inspiration when it comes to cooking at home and you can really improve your culinary knowledge and expertise in general.

Many decent shopping opportunities in and around Newark

Another upside to living in Newark is that you will have more than enough shopping opportunities in this region and even if you run out of fancy boutiques in Newark, you can still use the countless opportunities you will find in NYC in this regard.

Newark can be an excellent commuter city

It can also make quite a lot of sense to move to Newark for commuting purposes.

In fact, many people work in NYC but still want to live in Newark to save lots of money on housing so that they are able to afford many more other nice things of daily life.

Many excellent schools and colleges near Newark

While Newark has some decent schools, you will still have the opportunity to use excellent education opportunities in New York City nearby, at least if you have the money so that you can afford the best education possible for your kids.

You can enjoy solid nightlife in Newark

Another benefit of living in Newark is that you will also find many great bars and clubs in and around the Newark region.

Even in case you get fed up with Newark nightlife in the long run, you will still have countless opportunities to enjoy yourself in NYC since you just have to drive a few miles.

Decent supply of material goods in Newark

Newark also has pretty decent public infrastructure and you will find everything you need for daily life in this city and overall supply of material goods is pretty solid in general so that you don’t have to drive to bigger cities to get what you need as would often be the case if you moved to smaller cities or villages.

You can experience real seasons in Newark

You will also be able to enjoy warm summers and cold winters in Newark and this mix of real seasons can make your life much more interesting compared to people living in Austin or other hot places where you will have warm weather all year long.

Newark is close to the coast

You should also know that Newark is closely located to the coast and this means that you can go surfing or do other water sports on a regular basis which may further increase your overall quality of life and many people will envy you in this regard.

Many recreational spaces to relax in Newark

There are also many green spaces in and around Newark where you can relax and reload your batteries during lunch break or after work so that you can lower your stress level quite a lot.

Newark has an international airport

Another advantage of living in Newark is that the city has an international airport and this can be great for globetrotters since it makes it pretty easy getting around the globe in an efficient manner.

Newark has pretty decent air quality

Compared to many other major cities that are often pretty polluted, Newark has solid air quality and this can not only improve your overall quality of life but may also lower your risk of suffering from serious pulmonary issues in the long run.

Newark has a decent art scene

Newark also has a solid art scene and combined with the great art scene and the many interesting museums you will find in NYC, you will have more than enough opportunities to spend your leisure in this regard and can also hang out with many interesting art people.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Newark.

However, you should also not forget the drawbacks of living in Newark that I want to address in the following so that you will have a better idea of whether you still want to move to Newark or rather prefer moving to a different place instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Newark

1. Rents have already increased significantly in Newark
2. Low median income in Newark
3. Many people struggle to make a living in Newark
4. Homelessness is a big problem
5. Gap between the poor and the rich increases in Newark
6. You will not find many great sports teams in Newark
7. Newark is not the most popular city
8. High crime rate in Newark
9. Unemployment is a problem in Newark
10. Cold winters may be annoying
11. Many dodgy neighborhoods in Newark
12. Your friends may not understand your decision

Rents have already increased significantly in Newark

One downside to moving to Newark is that rents have increased significantly over the past decade and if this trend continues, many tenants would no longer be able to pay rents on time and may get evicted from their properties sooner or later and this is not only true for poor people but also many middle-class people will really struggle in this regard in the near future.

Low median income in Newark

People in Newark also don’t make great money on average and combined with rather high rents, many people become increasingly desperate when it comes to paying their bills and have to worry quite a lot in this regard which may lead to serious mental issues in the long run.

Many people struggle to make a living in Newark

Since many people struggle to make a decent living in Newark, many people also consider leaving this region and if too many people will do so, public infrastructure may become worse, part of the city’s charm will be lost and overall quality of life may drop.

Homelessness is a big problem

Another disadvantage of living in Newark is that homelessness is a big problem and the situation may become even worse in the future since due to skyrocketing rents, many people are no longer able to rent out an apartment and rather have to sleep in their vans or directly on the streets.

Gap between the poor and the rich increases in Newark

While landlords have benefited from increasing property prices and rents, tenants become increasingly desperate since they are no longer able to pay for housing and overall gap between the poor and the rich has widened significantly over the past decade which may lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.

You will not find many great sports teams in Newark

You should also know that there are not many great sports teams in Newark and if you are a sports fan and want to watch many games in person, you may also have to drive to NYC or other bigger cities where you will have more opportunities to watch sports at the highest level.

Newark is not the most popular city

Another problem with moving to Newark is that it is also not the most popular and glamorous city and since the city also has to deal with many social problems, your loved ones may really worry about your own well-being.

High crime rate in Newark

You should also know that Newark is not the safest city and crime rates are significantly above national average and moving to Newark may therefore not be the best idea if you want to see your kids grow up in the safest environment possible.

Unemployment is a problem in Newark

Unemployment rate in Newark is also above national average and you may therefore have a hard time finding a job in this region, especially if you are not highly-qualified and don’t have skills urgently needed in the job market right now.

Cold winters may be annoying

You should also know that you will have pretty cold winters in Newark and if you can’t stand the cold at all, you may be better off moving to El Paso or other warmer places instead.

Many dodgy neighborhoods in Newark

If you are not careful, you may also buy or rent a home in a rather dodgy neighborhood in Newark and may also run into all sorts of problems.

Thus, make sure to inform yourself about the best neighborhoods to live in in Newark to avoid any trouble in this regard later on.

Your friends may not understand your decision

Since Newark is not the most popular or glamorous city, your friends may also not understand your decision of moving to Newark and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard which may get pretty annoying sooner or later.

Top 10 Moving To Newark Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Newark A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Newark can make quite a lot of sense if you want to work in NYC and want to save lots of money on housing, you should still know that Newark has high crime rates and you will also have to deal with many social problems that come along with an increasing level of inequality.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Newark anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Stockton

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Riverside

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Minneapolis

Sources

https://www.newarknj.gov/

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/newarkcitynewjersey

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.