Most dangerous cities in New Jersey research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data to determine the most dangerous cities in New Jersey based on violent and property crimes per capita. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The most dangerous city in New Jersey is Asbury Park based on the most recent FBI crime data.
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The violent crime rate in New Jersey is 1,226 per 100k people.
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The property crime rate in New Jersey is 3,424 per 100k people.
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The safest city in New Jersey is New Hanover.
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New Jersey is the 47th most dangerous state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | References
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 2023 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 331, 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.
The Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey For 2023
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:
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In New Jersey For 2023
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 2021, so don’t let your guard down at the the boardwalk.
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Population: 15,331
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,226 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,424 (Third most dangerous)
More on Asbury Park: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Millville is nowhere near as violent as Camden, but with a property crime rate that ranks as the fourth 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 2021.
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Population: 27,272
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 634 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,402 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Millville: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
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 2021.
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Population: 24,032
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
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
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 2021. And it isn’t all stolen poker winnings, either; the city also had the fourth highest murder rate in New Jersey.
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Population: 37,550
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
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
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.
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Population: 9,744
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 389 (20th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,366 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Woodbury: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Located a half-hour drive southeast of Camden, Lindenwold comes in as New Jersey’s sixth most dangerous city for 2023. Lindenwold had the eighth 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.
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Population: 17,206
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 633 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,417 (17th most dangerous)
More on Lindenwold: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
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: 7 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 391 (19th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,327 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Neptune City: | Crime Report
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 2021 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 2021, 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: 8 (No Change)
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
Trenton, the capital city of New Jersey, ranks as the ninth most dangerous place to live in the state for 2023. With a population of 82,909, Trenton has unfortunately experienced high crime levels, contributing to its reputation as a dangerous location. The crime statistics for Trenton are concerning, with a total of 969 violent crimes, including 40 murder cases, 50 rapes, 262 robberies, and 617 aggravated assaults.
These crime rates indicate that safety is a significant concern for residents of Trenton. While the city’s crime rankings for violent crime and property crime highlight the severity of the issue, it’s important to remember that these numbers can be improved with dedicated efforts. By focusing on community policing, providing resources for crime prevention, and addressing underlying social issues, there is potential for positive change in Trenton.
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Population: 82,909
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,168 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,090 (30th most dangerous)
More on Trenton: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
New Jersey’s 4th most populous city, Elizabeth, also has the tenth highest crime rate in the state for 2023.
Violent crime is especially bad in Elizabeth, but the majority of the 644 crimes committed in 2021 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.
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Population: 134,131
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 480 (11th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,218 (24th most dangerous)
More on Elizabeth: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in New Jersey for 2023?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in New Jersey. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in New Jersey, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2021 data, specifically the 2021 Crime In The United States Report for New Jersey. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2023.
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 331 cities in New Jersey.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 331 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.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In New Jersey FAQs
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.
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
Summary: Locking It All Up In New Jersey
So what is the most dangerous city in New Jersey? After analyzing 331 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 — 2021.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Asbury Park ranks as the most dangerous city in New Jersey for 2023.
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:
- Bernards (Pop. 27,130)
- Emerson (Pop. 7,900)
- Berkeley Heights (Pop. 13,371)
- River Vale (Pop. 10,007)
- Hasbrouck Heights (Pop. 11,988)
- Chesterfield (Pop. 7,557)
- Oradell (Pop. 8,447)
- Park Ridge (Pop. 8,688)
- Matawan (Pop. 8,613)
- New Hanover (Pop. 7,859)
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
Crime By City In New Jersey
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asbury Park | 15,331 |
| 2 | Millville | 27,272 |
| 3 | Bridgeton | 24,032 |
| 4 | Atlantic City | 37,550 |
| 5 | Woodbury | 9,744 |
| 6 | Lindenwold | 17,206 |
| 7 | Neptune City | 27,320 |
| 8 | Camden | 73,127 |
| 9 | Trenton | 82,909 |
| 10 | Elizabeth | 134,131 |
| 11 | Linden | 42,515 |
| 12 | Absecon | 8,820 |
| 13 | Pennsauken | 35,698 |
| 14 | Vineland | 59,288 |
| 15 | Somerdale | 5,511 |
| 16 | Irvington | 54,306 |
| 17 | Westampton | 8,632 |
| 18 | Maple Shade | 18,402 |
| 19 | New Brunswick | 55,701 |
| 20 | Hillside | 22,799 |
| 21 | Orange City | 30,541 |
| 22 | Somers Point | 10,108 |
| 23 | Long Branch | 30,175 |
| 24 | Audubon | 8,608 |
| 25 | Paterson | 144,947 |
| 26 | Union City | 68,055 |
| 27 | Ventnor City | 9,815 |
| 28 | Collingswood | 13,864 |
| 29 | Deptford | 30,275 |
| 30 | Secaucus | 23,102 |
| 31 | Jersey City | 263,273 |
| 32 | Newark | 295,039 |
| 33 | Pine Hill | 10,427 |
| 34 | Paulsboro | 5,820 |
| 35 | Phillipsburg | 14,136 |
| 36 | Haddon | 14,510 |
| 37 | Plainfield | 50,333 |
| 38 | Passaic | 69,610 |
| 39 | Eatontown | 12,100 |
| 40 | Keansburg | 9,582 |
| 41 | Burlington City | 9,849 |
| 42 | Palmyra | 7,114 |
| 43 | Pennsville | 12,315 |
| 44 | Gloucester City | 11,182 |
| 45 | East Orange | 64,320 |
| 46 | Freehold Borough | 11,643 |
| 47 | Rochelle Park | 5,775 |
| 48 | Pemberton | 26,875 |
| 49 | Berlin | 5,721 |
| 50 | North Plainfield | 22,160 |
References
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FBI UCR 2022
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Census – American Cumminity Survey
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