The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey For 2022


We used data and science to identify the most dangerous cities in the Garden State for 2022.

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It appears that there are some things more dangerous in New Jersey than a drunk Snookie and a slow driver on the Garden State Parkway. New Jersey has its fair share of dangerous cities, too.

Lucky for you, we have the top ten most dangerous cities in New Jersey for 2022 broken down below. Why did we produce this list? Well, one goal is to definitely help people navigate these dangerous cities when trying to make an informed decision on what city they should call home. Let's be real, we're not talking about accidentally eating a moldy Jersey bagel kind of danger. The type of danger we're talking about gets people on News 12.

To compile our list, we looked at violent crimes and property crimes in cities with a population of 5,000. That left us with 330, said, Jersey cities. Folks, the cities that made our list have robberies happening in broad daylight, car jackings, and daily shootings. There are neighborhoods in these cities that you shouldn't drive thru, ever, and there are areas that you definitely shouldn't be in after dark. We're not saying that there aren't little pockets of goodness in these Jersey cities like Newark and Jersey City. There are neighborhoods and shopping centers in these cities that are not ALL bad. We do, however, recommend that you spend some time studying them before you make a move.

It's not entirely New Jersey's fault. They have the highest population per capita. As with most situations, there's bound to be problems with that many people: especially that many New Jerseyites in one area. To see where these New Jersey cities with more issues than the people on the Sopranos are located, take a look below.

What are the circumstances that make these New Jersey cities this way? Maybe not enough jobs, low wages, drugs, gangs; and in New Jersey's case, angry citizens after a Boston "any team' win?

We're not entirely sure. But one thing we are sure about is that our number one most dangerous city in New Jersey is Asbury Park.

The New Jersey cities on our most dangerous list could definitely use a hug. So, if you're into the whole hugging thing, or you're just curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. And if you don't see your city there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in New Jersey.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In New Jersey For 2022

Located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City metro area, Asbury Park raks as New Jersey's most dangerous place.

The overall crime rate in Asbury Park is more than three times as high as the statewide average and it's telling that most of that comes from violent crime.

Residents had a 1 in 81 chance of being attacked, killed, or raped in 2020, so don't let your guard down at the the boardwalk.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 15,331
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,226 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,424 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Asbury Park:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Asbury Park, NJ

Millville is nowhere near as violent as Camden, but with a property crime rate that ranks as the fifth highest in the state, the smaller city actually has a higher total crime rate.

Make sure you've still got all your valuables spending time at one of Millville's parks and make sure you keep your doors locked, or you'll join the 1 in 29 residents who had their property stolen or damaged in 2020.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 27,272
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 634 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,402 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Millville:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Millville, NJ

Located an hour south of Philadelphia, Bridgeton takes the third place position on our list of New Jersey's most dangerous places.

While there might be bears and tigers at Bridgeton's local zoo, but the real scary stuff is going down on Bridgeton's streets, where violent crimes are the fifth most common statewide.

It's also probably a good idea to lock all your doors and Bridgeton because the city had the highest burglary rate in New Jersey for 2020.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 24,032
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 973 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,066 (11th most dangerous)
More on Bridgeton:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Bridgeton, NJ

Source: Public domain

A resort city known for its casinos, beaches, and boardwalk, as well as inspiring the board of Monopoly, Atlantic City is also New Jersey's fourth most dangerous city.

If you watched Boardwalk Empire, you know that the Atlantic City we know today was founded on crime, and today it still has the tenth highest overall crime rate in New Jersey.

People in Atlantic City had a 1 in 37 of being the victim of a property crime in 2020. And it isn't all stolen poker winnings, either; the city also had the third highest murder rate in New Jersey.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 37,550
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 822 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,697 (14th most dangerous)
More on Atlantic City:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Atlantic City, NJ

Source: Public domain

The name "Woodbury" will fool you on two fronts at once. First, the "wood" part. This isn't a tiny hamlet tucked into a forest enclave. Rather, it's actually part of the greater Philadelphia metro area, located about 20 minutes from the center of the big city.

Meanwhile, the "bury" part is a little deceiving as well. Yes, this is the number 5 most dangerous place in New Jersey. But violence really isn't its biggest problem -- if you end up buried in Woodbury, it's likely because of natural causes. Instead, you should be more afraid of property crime around here. The town of 9,744 people suffers the number 7 highest pace of burglaries in the state.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 9,744
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 8)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 389 (20th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,366 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Woodbury:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Woodbury, NJ

Located a half-hour drive southeast of Camden, Lindenwold comes in as New Jersey's sixth most dangerous city for 2022. Lindenwold had the seventh highest rate of rape cases of anywhere in New Jersey and residents had a 1 in 157 of being attacked in some way over the year.

What's more, you can't even trust people not to break into your home in Lindenwold, which had the third highest burglary rate statewide. It's getting easier and easier to see why Lindenwold is also one of the worst places in New Jersey.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 17,206
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 633 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,417 (18th most dangerous)
More on Lindenwold:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Lindenwold, NJ

Known as "The Crossroads of the Jersey Shore," Neptune Township does not rep the region well, in terms of crime. On the bright side, Neptune Township does have the lowest violent crime rate on this list.

But with residents facing a 1 in 30 chance of being the victim of a property crime, it's fair to say Neptune Township still has some work to do. We just hope nobody steals an antique pinball machine in the meantime.

Population: 27,320
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 391 (19th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,327 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Neptune City:  | Crime Report

Source: Public Domain

Let's be frank -- Camden has a national reputation for violent crime and the numbers back up the stereotype in this case. Camden had the most violent crime of anywhere in New Jersey for 2020 and the second highest murder rate.

To balance out this narrative a little, we should mention that Camden had 67 murders in 2012 and only 23 in 2020, so things are improving here.

Other types of crime are down in recent years as well and many look to Camden as a model for model for police reform.

To quote the Camden County Police Department Chief of Police, "I would qualify the statistics as progress and not success."

Population: 73,127
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,602 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,159 (27th most dangerous)
More on Camden:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Camden, NJ

New Jersey's 4th most populous city, Elizabeth, also has the ninth highest crime rate in the state for 2022.

Violent crime is especially bad in Elizabeth, but the majority of the 774 crimes committed in 2020 were robberies or assaults.

Elizabeth has been inching its way up this list for the past couple of years while its northern neighbor Newark has been slowly achieving better and better crime numbers.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 129,518
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 597 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,236 (22nd most dangerous)
More on Elizabeth:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Elizabeth, NJ

Absecon gets its name from a local tribe of Native Americans. Its located along the coast, in the southern part of New Jersey, potentially a scenic place to spend a summer day, with the town situated just a short 15-minute drive from the middle of Atlantic City.

Unfortunately, the resort atmosphere is shattered by a high crime rate. Violence remains relatively subdued in the community. But property crime poses a major threat. Absecon presents the number 5 rate of burglaries and the number 3 pace of larcenies in the state.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 8,856
Rank Last Year: 64 (Up 54)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 282 (29th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,895 (Third most dangerous)
More on Absecon:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Absecon, NJ

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in New Jersey for 2022?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets, a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in the country, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the JUST released 2020 data, specifically the 2020 Crime In The United States Report. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2022.

So what criteria did we use? Have a look:

  • Violent Crimes Per Capita
  • Property Crimes Per Capita

In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered New Jersey cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 330 cities in New Jersey.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 330 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the two rankings into one "Dangerous Index".

Finally, we ranked every city on the "Dangerous Index" with the lowest index being the most dangerous in New Jersey -- Asbury Park. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In New Jersey FAQs

Is New Jersey a dangerous state?

No, New Jersey is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #4 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in new jersey ranks 46th highest in the United States -- 49.62% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Garden State ranks 46th highest in the United States -- 40.85% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.

Is Newark, NJ a dangerous city?

No, Newark is not a dangerous city. Newark ranks as the #88 safest out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Newark might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, South Ironbound is the safest in Newark, while Springfield-Belmont is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Newark ranks 13highest in America -- 3.69% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 255th highest in the United States -- 39.07% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 and that no city in America is 'dangerous'. Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.

Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In New Jersey

Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In New Jersey

So what is the most dangerous city in New Jersey? After analyzing 330 cities in New Jersey, Asbury Park takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in New Jersey based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Asbury Park ranks as the most dangerous city in New Jersey for 2022.

We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Asbury Park and that this isn't a comment on the people that live there. So please don't beat us up.

What are the circumstances that make these New Jersey cities this way? Maybe not enough jobs, low wages, drugs, gangs; and in New Jersey's case, angry citizens after a Boston "any team' win?

We're not entirely sure. But one thing we are sure about is that our number one most dangerous city in New Jersey is Asbury Park.

The New Jersey cities on our most dangerous list could definitely use a hug. So, if you're into the whole hugging thing, or you're just curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. And if you don't see your city there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in New Jersey.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

Here are the safest cities in New Jersey:

  1. Hillsdale (Pop. 10,308)
  2. Emerson (Pop. 7,610)
  3. Bernards (Pop. 27,130)
  4. Berkeley Heights (Pop. 13,371)
  5. River Vale (Pop. 10,007)
  6. Hasbrouck Heights (Pop. 11,988)
  7. Chesterfield (Pop. 7,557)
  8. Park Ridge (Pop. 8,688)
  9. Matawan (Pop. 8,613)
  10. New Hanover (Pop. 7,859)

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

Crime By City In New Jersey

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per Capita Property Crimes Per Capita
1 Asbury Park 15,331 1,226 3,424
2 Millville 27,272 634 3,402
3 Bridgeton 24,032 973 3,066
4 Atlantic City 37,550 822 2,697
5 Woodbury 9,744 389 3,366
6 Lindenwold 17,206 633 2,417
7 Neptune City 27,320 391 3,327
8 Camden 73,127 1,602 2,159
9 Elizabeth 129,518 597 2,236
10 Absecon 8,856 282 3,895
11 Trenton 82,909 1,168 2,090
12 Linden 42,515 333 2,601
13 Hillside 21,995 281 2,432
14 Somerdale 5,511 199 4,445
15 Pennsauken 35,698 266 2,585
16 Vineland 59,288 382 2,089
17 Irvington 54,306 423 1,856
18 Westampton 8,632 347 1,888
19 Maple Shade 18,402 260 2,233
20 New Brunswick 55,701 511 1,730
21 Orange City 30,541 468 1,732
22 Somers Point 10,108 237 2,176
23 Long Branch 30,175 304 1,855
24 Audubon 8,608 185 3,264
25 Newark 282,242 528 1,618
26 Paterson 144,947 988 1,490
27 Collingswood 13,864 187 2,416
28 Union City 68,055 298 1,741
29 Deptford 30,275 161 3,322
30 Ventnor City 9,815 173 2,730
31 Jersey City 263,273 443 1,496
32 Pine Hill 10,427 306 1,601
33 Haddon 14,510 199 1,881
34 Secaucus 22,535 221 1,783
35 Paulsboro 5,820 274 1,632
36 Phillipsburg 14,136 268 1,655
37 Plainfield 50,333 452 1,456
38 Passaic 69,610 400 1,476
39 Eatontown 12,124 197 1,756
40 Keansburg 9,582 260 1,575
41 Palmyra 7,114 196 1,714
42 Burlington City 9,849 324 1,391
43 Gloucester City 11,182 134 2,414
44 Pennsville 12,315 154 2,111
45 East Orange 64,320 457 1,259
46 Freehold Borough 11,643 214 1,460
47 Pemberton 26,875 226 1,410
48 Berlin 5,721 104 3,286
49 Weehawken 14,874 134 1,748
50 Cherry Hill 71,220 117 2,169

How Is Your Town In ?

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our ninth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in New Jersey and is updated for 2022.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.