Poverty Benchmarks 2010: Assessing New Jersey’s Progress in Combating Poverty 
The Poverty Benchmarks Project is an on-going data collection effort that aims to increase understanding of poverty in New Jersey as a foundation for more effective public response to the reality of poverty and its consequences. This report is the fourth in the annual series and updates key poverty trends and attendant policy implications. It also examines the effectiveness of existing state programs addressing poverty and considers additional alternatives for state action.

The Real Cost of Living in 2008: The Self-Sufficiency Standard for New Jersey  
An updated report in the Real Cost of Living series produced by Dr. Diana Pearce, Ph.D. of the University of Washington. The report provides a detailed analysis of the cost of living in New Jersey for working families based on the true cost of basic household expenses including housing, child care, health care, and food. It also provides a comparison of the Real Cost of Living to other benchmarks of income including the federal poverty level, welfare income, and minimum wage income. Several policy implications flow from the report’s themes and the report includes information on key action the state could take to help New Jersey families meet their basic needs given the high cost of living.