While New Jersey may be widely known as the setting of the classic HBO mob series, The Sopranos, in truth, the Garden State is among the safest in the nation, with violent and property crime rates well below national levels. Let’s take a look at New Jersey’s five safest cities, which are model communities for more than just their low frequency of crime. All five are located in the counties of Bergen and Morris.
River Vale is the safest municipality in New Jersey. The Bergen County township logged a single violent crime in 2018, and less than 25 property crimes.
The 2nd safest community in New Jersey is Tenafly, another small, affluent Bergen County community. Like River Vale, crime is a rarity in Tenafly: the city earned a violent crime rate of 0.1 per 1,000, along with a property crime rate less than 15% of the national rate, in 2018.
#3 Kinnelon of Morris County barely cracks our population parameters with a population just over 10K, yet deserves its spot due to being 1 of the 3 New Jersey communities in the top 5 to record just 1 violent crime in 2018.
Bergenfield earns the #4 spot on the list. The 3rd Bergen County community on the list has a lot in common with prior entries: near-nonexistent violent crime and scarce property crime. However, with a population over 27K, it is nearly 3 times the size of the first 3 New Jersey communities on the list, making its low crime rates even more impressive.
Rounding out New Jersey’s 5 safest cities is Mount Olive, a Morris County township similar in size to Bergenfield. Mount Olive’s property crime rate of 2.66 per 1,000 is nearly identical to that of the prior entry on the list, and it is a notch lower in the ranking only because it recorded several more violent crimes in 2018.
New Jersey’s Safest Cities
NJ City Population Violent
crimeProperty
crimeLaw enforcement
employeesTotal crimes Crime rate per 1,000 Violent crimes per 1,000 Property crimes per 1,000 Law enforcement per 1,000
1 River Vale Township 10157 1 24 21 25 2.46 0.10 2.36 2.07
2 Tenafly 14742 4 37 39 41 2.78 0.27 2.51 2.65
3 Kinnelon 10080 1 25 17 26 2.58 0.10 2.48 1.69
4 Bergenfield 27684 1 76 53 77 2.78 0.04 2.75 1.91
5 Mount Olive Township 28994 6 77 59 83 2.86 0.21 2.66 2.03
6 Dumont 17825 5 49 40 54 3.03 0.28 2.75 2.24
7 Sparta Township 18694 5 54 44 59 3.16 0.27 2.89 2.35
8 New Milford 16701 5 52 42 57 3.41 0.30 3.11 2.51
9 Chatham Township 10288 0 33 22 33 3.21 0.00 3.21 2.14
10 Warren Township 15951 3 52 37 55 3.45 0.19 3.26 2.32
11 Hopatcong 14183 6 42 31 48 3.38 0.42 2.96 2.19
12 Washington Township, Morris County 18484 7 50 30 57 3.08 0.38 2.71 1.62
13 Mahwah Township 26501 3 98 62 101 3.81 0.11 3.70 2.34
14 Robbinsville Township 14710 2 59 38 61 4.15 0.14 4.01 2.58
15 Bernards Township 26813 2 87 42 89 3.32 0.07 3.24 1.57
16 Monroe Township, Middlesex County 45597 5 158 79 163 3.57 0.11 3.47 1.73
17 Hasbrouck Heights 12163 1 51 31 52 4.28 0.08 4.19 2.55
18 Oakland 13102 7 48 32 55 4.20 0.53 3.66 2.44
19 Glen Rock 11937 0 49 26 49 4.10 0.00 4.10 2.18
20 Hillsdale 10484 3 41 23 44 4.20 0.29 3.91 2.19
21 Jefferson Township 21071 5 84 43 89 4.22 0.24 3.99 2.04
22 Clinton Township 12824 1 50 23 51 3.98 0.08 3.90 1.79
23 Ringwood 12303 6 48 26 54 4.39 0.49 3.90 2.11
24 Berkeley Heights Township 13646 4 60 33 64 4.69 0.29 4.40 2.42
25 New Providence 13283 0 65 35 65 4.89 0.00 4.89 2.63
26 Waldwick 10019 2 47 25 49 4.89 0.20 4.69 2.50
27 Hopewell Township 18000 8 76 39 84 4.67 0.44 4.22 2.17
28 Madison 15832 3 76 38 79 4.99 0.19 4.80 2.40
29 Florham Park 11602 3 65 38 68 5.86 0.26 5.60 3.28
30 Vernon Township 22057 1 100 41 101 4.58 0.05 4.53 1.86
31 Montgomery Township 23515 7 97 40 104 4.42 0.30 4.13 1.70
32 Franklin Lakes 11191 1 59 28 60 5.36 0.09 5.27 2.50
33 Denville Township 16737 2 90 42 92 5.50 0.12 5.38 2.51
34 Lincoln Park 10308 0 60 29 60 5.82 0.00 5.82 2.81
35 Raritan Township 22092 5 95 36 100 4.53 0.23 4.30 1.63
36 River Edge 11611 0 64 28 64 5.51 0.00 5.51 2.41
37 Ridgefield 11329 3 68 32 71 6.27 0.26 6.00 2.82
38 Cranford Township 24353 7 145 67 152 6.24 0.29 5.95 2.75
39 Plainsboro Township 23243 10 118 47 128 5.51 0.43 5.08 2.02
40 West Caldwell Township 10912 2 68 30 70 6.41 0.18 6.23 2.75
41 Harrison Township 12915 2 67 24 69 5.34 0.15 5.19 1.86
42 Barnegat Township 22777 13 120 51 133 5.84 0.57 5.27 2.24
43 Roxbury Township 23010 1 127 45 128 5.56 0.04 5.52 1.96
44 Pequannock Township 15177 3 93 39 96 6.33 0.20 6.13 2.57
45 Waterford Township 10641 7 64 29 71 6.67 0.66 6.01 2.73
46 Manchester Township 42939 15 238 89 253 5.89 0.35 5.54 2.07
47 Randolph Township 25552 2 128 39 130 5.09 0.08 5.01 1.53
48 Readington Township 15941 2 82 26 84 5.27 0.13 5.14 1.63
49 Verona 13437 0 89 35 89 6.62 0.00 6.62 2.60
50 Branchburg Township 14577 4 80 28 84 5.76 0.27 5.49 1.92
51 South Brunswick Township 46340 23 276 109 299 6.45 0.50 5.96 2.35
52 Morris Township 22183 6 120 39 126 5.68 0.27 5.41 1.76
53 Ridgewood 25429 5 155 52 160 6.29 0.20 6.10 2.04
54 Wanaque 11960 11 71 29 82 6.86 0.92 5.94 2.42
55 Summit 22125 7 143 52 150 6.78 0.32 6.46 2.35
56 Middletown Township 65469 14 388 124 402 6.14 0.21 5.93 1.89
57 Ramsey 15126 2 106 39 108 7.14 0.13 7.01 2.58
58 Marlboro Township 40338 25 271 110 296 7.34 0.62 6.72 2.73
59 Fort Lee 37729 22 271 116 293 7.77 0.58 7.18 3.07
60 Cedar Grove Township 12566 4 86 32 90 7.16 0.32 6.84 2.55
61 Stafford Township 27141 15 183 70 198 7.30 0.55 6.74 2.58
62 Point Pleasant 18474 14 115 43 129 6.98 0.76 6.22 2.33
63 West Milford Township 26560 10 158 50 168 6.33 0.38 5.95 1.88
64 Cliffside Park 25001 15 150 51 165 6.60 0.60 6.00 2.04
65 Roselle Park 13698 5 104 41 109 7.96 0.37 7.59 2.99
66 Holmdel Township 16621 4 129 50 133 8.00 0.24 7.76 3.01
67 Nutley Township 28596 27 197 81 224 7.83 0.94 6.89 2.83
68 Manalapan Township 40150 13 218 59 231 5.75 0.32 5.43 1.47
69 Palisades Park 20888 17 130 45 147 7.04 0.81 6.22 2.15
70 Jackson Township 56706 27 360 113 387 6.82 0.48 6.35 1.99
71 Sayreville 45062 44 301 107 345 7.66 0.98 6.68 2.37
72 Parsippany-Troy Hills Township 52447 29 362 116 391 7.46 0.55 6.90 2.21
73 Ridgefield Park 13028 13 99 39 112 8.60 1.00 7.60 2.99
74 Scotch Plains Township 24423 10 171 52 181 7.41 0.41 7.00 2.13
75 East Greenwich Township 10504 4 68 19 72 6.85 0.38 6.47 1.81
76 East Windsor Township 27401 18 171 50 189 6.90 0.66 6.24 1.82
77 Springfield Township, Union County 17762 4 144 48 148 8.33 0.23 8.11 2.70
78 Hillsborough Township 39796 15 240 62 255 6.41 0.38 6.03 1.56
79 Middlesex Borough 13704 11 100 34 111 8.10 0.80 7.30 2.48
80 Howell Township 52672 36 351 104 387 7.35 0.68 6.66 1.97
81 Florence Township 12748 13 89 30 102 8.00 1.02 6.98 2.35
82 Rahway 30113 34 245 93 279 9.27 1.13 8.14 3.09
83 Princeton 31856 11 224 60 235 7.38 0.35 7.03 1.88
84 Little Ferry 10895 7 94 33 101 9.27 0.64 8.63 3.03
85 South River 16159 19 122 42 141 8.73 1.18 7.55 2.60
86 Lyndhurst Township 22384 12 168 49 180 8.04 0.54 7.51 2.19
87 Montville Township 21396 4 173 46 177 8.27 0.19 8.09 2.15
88 East Hanover Township 11084 2 106 33 108 9.74 0.18 9.56 2.98
89 Bridgewater Township 45050 16 331 81 347 7.70 0.36 7.35 1.80
90 Wall Township 25955 6 262 84 268 10.33 0.23 10.09 3.24
91 Little Falls Township 14306 16 113 34 129 9.02 1.12 7.90 2.38
92 Old Bridge Township 66321 28 490 117 518 7.81 0.42 7.39 1.76
93 Lower Township 21617 35 163 53 198 9.16 1.62 7.54 2.45
94 North Bergen Township 63166 98 435 128 533 8.44 1.55 6.89 2.03
95 Livingston Township 29820 23 277 85 300 10.06 0.77 9.29 2.85
96 Pompton Lakes 11062 15 89 27 104 9.40 1.36 8.05 2.44
97 Metuchen 14262 5 128 34 133 9.33 0.35 8.97 2.38
98 Aberdeen Township 18378 11 163 45 174 9.47 0.60 8.87 2.45
99 Piscataway Township 57342 54 425 101 479 8.35 0.94 7.41 1.76
100 Berkeley Township 41331 25 378 97 403 9.75 0.60 9.15 2.35
101 North Arlington 15868 5 148 36 153 9.64 0.32 9.33 2.27
102 Rutherford 18617 19 164 42 183 9.83 1.02 8.81 2.26
103 Bordentown Township 12323 14 99 24 113 9.17 1.14 8.03 1.95
104 Haddonfield 11253 6 100 23 106 9.42 0.53 8.89 2.04
105 Hawthorne 18874 2 177 38 179 9.48 0.11 9.38 2.01
106 Fair Lawn 33413 19 304 68 323 9.67 0.57 9.10 2.04
107 Tinton Falls 17754 5 182 43 187 10.53 0.28 10.25 2.42
108 Lacey Township 28654 18 257 57 275 9.60 0.63 8.97 1.99
109 Lakewood Township 102915 129 779 171 908 8.82 1.25 7.57 1.66
110 Englewood 28988 85 281 101 366 12.63 2.93 9.69 3.48
111 Morristown 18860 30 202 62 232 12.30 1.59 10.71 3.29
112 Teaneck Township 40939 45 419 109 464 11.33 1.10 10.23 2.66
113 Bayonne 66824 114 773 248 887 13.27 1.71 11.57 3.71
114 Hanover Township 14583 4 161 38 165 11.31 0.27 11.04 2.61
115 Guttenberg 11602 28 99 28 127 10.95 2.41 8.53 2.41
116 Hammonton 14311 9 149 35 158 11.04 0.63 10.41 2.45
117 Little Egg Harbor Township 21087 4 241 56 245 11.62 0.19 11.43 2.66
118 Medford Township 23558 47 176 41 223 9.47 2.00 7.47 1.74
119 Edgewater 12318 13 137 36 150 12.18 1.06 11.12 2.92
120 Somerville 12326 16 131 33 147 11.93 1.30 10.63 2.68
121 Bound Brook 10360 13 114 29 127 12.26 1.25 11.00 2.80
122 Weehawken Township 15567 23 223 74 246 15.80 1.48 14.33 4.75
123 Wallington 11676 5 120 24 125 10.71 0.43 10.28 2.06
124 West Windsor Township 28277 11 298 60 309 10.93 0.39 10.54 2.12
125 Hazlet Township 19970 23 208 47 231 11.57 1.15 10.42 2.35
126 Montclair 38893 37 502 130 539 13.86 0.95 12.91 3.34
127 Freehold Borough 11873 16 129 30 145 12.21 1.35 10.86 2.53
128 Delran Township 16579 8 176 34 184 11.10 0.48 10.62 2.05
129 Rockaway Township 25328 6 294 59 300 11.84 0.24 11.61 2.33
130 Brick Township 74712 65 904 208 969 12.97 0.87 12.10 2.78
131 Fairview 14428 35 144 36 179 12.41 2.43 9.98 2.50
132 Red Bank 12128 21 162 45 183 15.09 1.73 13.36 3.71
133 Dover 17982 26 187 40 213 11.85 1.45 10.40 2.22
134 Bloomfield 50777 50 647 150 697 13.73 0.98 12.74 2.95
135 Franklin Township, Somerset County 66624 48 670 119 718 10.78 0.72 10.06 1.79
136 Evesham Township 45354 34 506 99 540 11.91 0.75 11.16 2.18
137 Lodi 24720 28 254 48 282 11.41 1.13 10.28 1.94
138 Highland Park 13989 8 166 32 174 12.44 0.57 11.87 2.29
139 Carteret 23921 45 295 72 340 14.21 1.88 12.33 3.01
140 Clark Township 16079 4 227 49 231 14.37 0.25 14.12 3.05
141 Saddle Brook Township 14037 1 192 39 193 13.75 0.07 13.68 2.78
142 Roselle 21787 45 281 70 326 14.96 2.07 12.90 3.21
143 Edison Township 101309 120 1147 219 1267 12.51 1.18 11.32 2.16
144 West New York 54095 138 567 125 705 13.03 2.55 10.48 2.31
145 Burlington Township 22857 35 274 56 309 13.52 1.53 11.99 2.45
146 Beachwood 11146 6 130 22 136 12.20 0.54 11.66 1.97
147 Galloway Township 36467 73 399 79 472 12.94 2.00 10.94 2.17
148 Mantua Township 14772 7 190 33 197 13.34 0.47 12.86 2.23
149 Kearny 42339 38 677 153 715 16.89 0.90 15.99 3.61
150 East Brunswick Township 48342 32 632 109 664 13.74 0.66 13.07 2.25
151 Moorestown Township 20510 13 251 38 264 12.87 0.63 12.24 1.85
152 Franklin Township, Gloucester County 16225 9 236 41 245 15.10 0.55 14.55 2.53
153 East Orange 64625 333 904 261 1237 19.14 5.15 13.99 4.04
154 Perth Amboy 52347 165 721 163 886 16.93 3.15 13.77 3.11
155 Maplewood Township 24635 22 394 76 416 16.89 0.89 15.99 3.09
156 Union Township 58861 45 954 183 999 16.97 0.76 16.21 3.11
157 Washington Township, Gloucester County 47024 66 554 87 620 13.18 1.40 11.78 1.85
158 Voorhees Township 29071 42 375 63 417 14.34 1.44 12.90 2.17
159 West Orange 48071 91 615 109 706 14.69 1.89 12.79 2.27
160 Monroe Township, Gloucester County 36498 47 462 74 509 13.95 1.29 12.66 2.03
161 Belleville 36075 62 589 123 651 18.05 1.72 16.33 3.41
162 Freehold Township 34896 41 451 71 492 14.10 1.17 12.92 2.03
163 West Deptford Township 20889 19 290 46 309 14.79 0.91 13.88 2.20
164 Bellmawr 11312 8 158 24 166 14.67 0.71 13.97 2.12
165 Ocean City 11138 5 283 72 288 25.86 0.45 25.41 6.46
166 Gloucester Township 63198 78 945 152 1023 16.19 1.23 14.95 2.41
167 South Plainfield 24238 23 397 67 420 17.33 0.95 16.38 2.76
168 Toms River Township 92191 55 1317 181 1372 14.88 0.60 14.29 1.96
169 Hackensack 44926 116 649 115 765 17.03 2.58 14.45 2.56
170 South Orange Village 16880 22 293 52 315 18.66 1.30 17.36 3.08
171 Union City 69950 233 1078 215 1311 18.74 3.33 15.41 3.07
172 Hoboken 55096 119 862 152 981 17.81 2.16 15.65 2.76
173 Millburn Township 20250 8 369 60 377 18.62 0.40 18.22 2.96
174 Pleasantville 20799 92 306 65 398 19.14 4.42 14.71 3.13
175 North Plainfield 21834 39 338 55 377 17.27 1.79 15.48 2.52
176 North Brunswick Township 42205 53 683 102 736 17.44 1.26 16.18 2.42
177 Clifton 85732 97 1354 188 1451 16.92 1.13 15.79 2.19
178 Glassboro 19938 38 327 51 365 18.31 1.91 16.40 2.56
179 Plainfield 50820 195 820 153 1015 19.97 3.84 16.14 3.01
180 Wayne Township 54340 64 986 147 1050 19.32 1.18 18.15 2.71
181 Jersey City 270175 1233 4781 955 6014 22.26 4.56 17.70 3.53
182 Pine Hill 10431 25 162 23 187 17.93 2.40 15.53 2.20
183 Newark 282258 2069 5674 1490 7743 27.43 7.33 20.10 5.28
184 Ventnor City 10182 17 259 51 276 27.11 1.67 25.44 5.01
185 Elmwood Park 20277 33 342 46 375 18.49 1.63 16.87 2.27
186 Ewing Township 36142 69 685 102 754 20.86 1.91 18.95 2.82
187 Middle Township 18358 51 394 70 445 24.24 2.78 21.46 3.81
188 Totowa 10666 12 219 32 231 21.66 1.13 20.53 3.00
189 Mount Laurel Township 41629 52 664 77 716 17.20 1.25 15.95 1.85
190 Maple Shade Township 18772 38 305 39 343 18.27 2.02 16.25 2.08
191 Long Branch 30750 124 639 117 763 24.81 4.03 20.78 3.80
192 Ocean Township, Monmouth County 26947 20 586 79 606 22.49 0.74 21.75 2.93
193 Secaucus 20482 30 526 88 556 27.15 1.46 25.68 4.30
194 Eatontown 12364 30 277 44 307 24.83 2.43 22.40 3.56
195 Haddon Township 14500 19 247 27 266 18.34 1.31 17.03 1.86
196 Hamilton Township, Mercer County 87889 116 1700 206 1816 20.66 1.32 19.34 2.34
197 Lumberton Township 12253 10 212 22 222 18.12 0.82 17.30 1.80
198 Harrison 18058 41 373 50 414 22.93 2.27 20.66 2.77
199 Egg Harbor Township 43276 62 902 113 964 22.28 1.43 20.84 2.61
200 Cinnaminson Township 16630 14 286 28 300 18.04 0.84 17.20 1.68
201 Lawrence Township, Mercer County 32644 30 596 62 626 19.18 0.92 18.26 1.90
202 Manville 10308 18 214 27 232 22.51 1.75 20.76 2.62
203 Hillside Township 22078 41 540 79 581 26.32 1.86 24.46 3.58
204 Pennsville Township 12378 6 236 24 242 19.55 0.48 19.07 1.94
205 Garfield 32203 79 585 69 664 20.62 2.45 18.17 2.14
206 Somers Point 10436 14 246 31 260 24.91 1.34 23.57 2.97
207 Phillipsburg 14395 44 295 37 339 23.55 3.06 20.49 2.57
208 Passaic 70435 406 1298 189 1704 24.19 5.76 18.43 2.68
209 Irvington 54220 354 1277 223 1631 30.08 6.53 23.55 4.11
210 Linden 42806 122 1126 165 1248 29.15 2.85 26.30 3.85
211 Collingswood 13843 30 279 30 309 22.32 2.17 20.15 2.17
212 Orange City 30449 226 772 140 998 32.78 7.42 25.35 4.60
213 New Brunswick 56577 309 1210 170 1519 26.85 5.46 21.39 3.00
214 Gloucester City 11167 34 269 34 303 27.13 3.04 24.09 3.04
215 Atlantic City 38271 276 1181 224 1457 38.07 7.21 30.86 5.85
216 Paterson 146893 1076 3564 526 4640 31.59 7.33 24.26 3.58
217 Pemberton Township 27212 90 547 47 637 23.41 3.31 20.10 1.73
218 Pennsauken Township 35420 101 909 81 1010 28.51 2.85 25.66 2.29
219 Neptune Township 27825 106 851 92 957 34.39 3.81 30.58 3.31
220 Camden County Police Department 73140 1198 2219 413 3417 46.72 16.38 30.34 5.65
221 Cherry Hill Township 70578 92 2026 162 2118 30.01 1.30 28.71 2.30
222 Trenton 83753 973 2467 359 3440 41.07 11.62 29.46 4.29
223 Hamilton Township, Atlantic County 26380 57 857 80 914 34.65 2.16 32.49 3.03
224 Paramus 26744 24 1067 110 1091 40.79 0.90 39.90 4.11
225 Lindenwold 17204 111 455 44 566 32.90 6.45 26.45 2.56
226 Bridgeton 24386 203 720 80 923 37.85 8.32 29.53 3.28
227 Elizabeth 129080 897 4002 411 4899 37.95 6.95 31.00 3.18
228 Asbury Park 15717 174 653 95 827 52.62 11.07 41.55 6.04
229 Vineland 60330 258 2021 172 2279 37.78 4.28 33.50 2.85
230 Deptford Township 30137 47 1153 74 1200 39.82 1.56 38.26 2.46
231 Millville 27837 127 1217 91 1344 48.28 4.56 43.72 3.27
Methodology
To identify the safest cities, we reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics. We eliminated any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and cities with populations under 10,000. This left 3,381 cities (out of a total of 9,251).
There are two broad classifications of crimes: violent crimes and non-violent crimes. According to the FBI, “Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes are defined in the UCR Program as those offenses that involve force or threat of force. Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims. ”
We computed the total number of crimes reported by each city by adding violent crimes and property crimes. We then created a crime rate as the number of crimes per 1,000 population. Then we transformed the total crime rate variable so that the skewness was reduced and normalized.
Data from 2,831 law enforcement agencies was then collected to determine police adequacy (TotalCrimes / Number of police employees). We consider that the smaller the police adequacy statistic is, the safer the city is. This variable was also transformed and normalized.
Finally, the two variables were combined to create a safety score for each city.
