NJ ranks among the priciest states to buy an engagement ring

Nobody really talks about this part of getting engaged. You see the proposal. You see the photos. You see the ring. What you don’t always think about is how long somebody probably had to save up to buy it. And in New Jersey, it turns out we’re still spending a lot more than people in many other states.

According to a new study from True Sanity, New Jersey ranks as the 15th most expensive state in the country for engagement rings relative to income, which basically means people here still have to save a pretty decent chunk of their paycheck to make it happen.

The average engagement ring in New Jersey costs about $8,842. That number alone feels very Jersey! Because even when we’re not at the very top of a list, we’re somehow still expensive.

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The study found that the average monthly salary in New Jersey sits around $6,360, which means residents here need about 1.39 months of pay to afford the average ring. And while that might not sound terrible at first, it still puts New Jersey ahead of a lot of states where rings are simply easier to afford.

For comparison, people in places like Utah and Maine only need about 0.6 months of salary to buy an engagement ring. Their average rings cost just over $3,100.

That’s a big difference! And this feels very on-brand for New Jersey. Everything here costs more! Housing costs more. Property taxes cost more. Going out costs more. So, of course, even getting engaged comes with a bigger price tag.

The study also found that nearby states like Pennsylvania rank slightly higher than us, while New York actually lands lower because incomes there are higher overall. According to the study, Kansas ranked first, followed by Louisiana and Kentucky, where rings take the biggest bite out of monthly income.

And maybe the old “two to three months' salary” rule isn’t as real as people once thought. Even the most expensive state in the country, Kansas,(Kansas?) still comes in under two months of income for the average ring.

But New Jersey still lands firmly in that category where you probably aren’t buying one on a whim. You’re saving for it. And probably way longer than you’d like.

Because apparently, even love costs more in New Jersey.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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