These Are The 10 Worst Newark Suburbs For 2018

Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Newark.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we’ll use science and data to determine which Newark ‘burbs need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Newark area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the suburbs to live up to Newark proper, although Scarsdale certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Newark are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado…

We examined the 178 biggest suburbs of Newark to find out the worst places to live. And while you won’t necessarily find them on the worst places to live in New Jersey lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Newark in terms of quality of life.

Here are the 10 worst suburbs around Newark for 2018:

1. Morristown
2. Greenville
3. New Brunswick (Photos)
4. Plainfield (Photos)
5. Elizabeth (Photos)
6. Spring Valley (Photos)
7. Roselle (Photos)
8. Paterson (Photos)
9. East Orange (Photos)
10. South River (Photos)

Read on to see how we determined the places around Newark that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.

Or, if you’re thinking of moving to elsewhere in New Jersey check out the best places in New Jersey overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Newark too.

Editor’s Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it’s because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

• 10 Best Places To Live In New Jersey
• 10 Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey

Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Newark for 2018

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent American Community Survey data, this is the criteria we used:

• High unemployment rate
• Low median household incomes
• Low population density (no things to do)
• Low home values
• A lot of high school drop outs
• High poverty
• High rate of uninsured families

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Newark.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 5,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 178 suburbs to evaluate around Newark.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 178 in each category, where 1 was the “worst”.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index the “Worst Suburb near Newark.” We’re lookin’ at you, Morristown.

Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the worst of the worst. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from worst to best.

1. Morristown

Population: 29,395
Unemployment Rate: 9.7%
Median Home Price: $109,000
Median Income: $31,259
More on Morristown: Data | Jobs

We’ll get the ball rolling with Morristown, the absolute worst place to live around Newark according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Morristown beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 3rd worst in the Newark area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 3rd worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it’s cheap to live there. But there’s a reason for that… it’s Morristown.

You won’t feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren’t a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

2. Greenville

Population: 12,979
Unemployment Rate: 10.2%
Median Home Price: $87,600
Median Income: $35,471
More on Greenville: Jobs

Welcome to Greenville. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.

This city is 26.5 miles to Newark. Income levels here are the 6th lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $35,471 a year, which doesn’t go a long ways even on a shoestring budget.

But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.

3. New Brunswick

Population: 56,427
Unemployment Rate: 9.7%
Median Home Price: $253,300
Median Income: $40,428
More on New Brunswick: Data | Jobs

Back up the highway we go for the third worst Newark suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see New Brunswick on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that’s an understatement.

In terms of numbers, it’s in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school drop out rate is poor compared to other Newark suburbs.

But at least there are nice parks to bring the kids during the day.

4. Plainfield

Population: 50,578
Unemployment Rate: 10.0%
Median Home Price: $235,800
Median Income: $55,657
More on Plainfield: Data | Jobs

If you live in Plainfield, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 25th lowest Newark suburb when it comes to residents making money.

Not only that, but this is the 15th worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Newark. Remember, we looked at 178 cities for this study.

Plainfield is about 14.8 miles to downtown.

5. Elizabeth

Population: 128,042
Unemployment Rate: 10.2%
Median Home Price: $262,300
Median Income: $43,831
More on Elizabeth: Data | Jobs

Elizabeth has the distinction of being a Newark suburb. Which means that’s about all it has going for it.

All snarkiness aside, Elizabeth has the 18th lowest home values in the metro Newark area, where the median price is $262,300. To put that into perspective, in Scarsdale, the median income is $250,000, which is the best in the area.

Elizabeth has an unemployment rate of 10.2% which ranks 11th worst.

6. Spring Valley

Population: 32,415
Unemployment Rate: 11.8%
Median Home Price: $255,300
Median Income: $45,355
More on Spring Valley: Data | Jobs

Spring Valley has 32,415 residents that probably know it’s a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you’ve ever been there, you don’t need to look at the data.)

Incomes are towards the bottom and the poverty rate sits at 26.4%.

7. Roselle

Population: 21,507
Unemployment Rate: 13.8%
Median Home Price: $204,800
Median Income: $46,118
More on Roselle: Data | Jobs

Ah, Roselle. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Newark.

It’s the place with the 2nd most out of work residents in the Newark metro area (13.8%).

8. Paterson

Population: 146,894
Unemployment Rate: 8.1%
Median Home Price: $236,000
Median Income: $34,042
More on Paterson: Data | Jobs

Paterson is a city about 13.2 miles from Newark, but Newark probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.

You’d be hard pressed to find a worse place to live. Paterson has the 18th most uninsured people, 5th worst incomes, and has the 39th highest unemployment rate (8.1%) in the entire Newark metro area.

Homes only cost $236,000 for a reason. That’s cheap for Newark standards.

9. East Orange

Population: 64,621
Unemployment Rate: 16.9%
Median Home Price: $209,500
Median Income: $38,403
More on East Orange: Data | Jobs

If you absolutely have to live near Newark, then East Orange might be a place for you to consider as it’s only the 9th worst Newark suburb.

About 16.9% of residents are out of work.

10. South River

Population: 16,305
Unemployment Rate: 11.6%
Median Home Price: $276,500
Median Income: $65,254
More on South River: Data | Jobs

Rounding out the ten worst Newark suburbs to call home is South River.

Located 22.1 miles outside the city, South Rivers is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 8th highest unemployment rate (11.6%), and poverty is far above the area average.

The areas around Newark where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2018

Well there you have it — the worst of the ‘burbs surrounding Newark with Morristown casting itself ahead of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Newark aren’t all bad. Scarsdale takes the cake as the best place to live around Newark.

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

• 10 Most Ghetto Cities In New Jersey
• These Are The 10 Richest Cities In New Jersey
• 10 Safest Places In New Jersey
• 10 Worst Places To Live In New Jersey

Detailed List Of The Worst Newark Suburbs

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rate	Median Home Price	Median Income
1	Morristown	29,395	9.7%	$109,000	$31,259
2	Greenville	12,979	10.2%	$87,600	$35,471
3	New Brunswick	56,427	9.7%	$253,300	$40,428
4	Plainfield	50,578	10.0%	$235,800	$55,657
5	Elizabeth	128,042	10.2%	$262,300	$43,831
6	Spring Valley	32,415	11.8%	$255,300	$45,355
7	Roselle	21,507	13.8%	$204,800	$46,118
8	Paterson	146,894	8.1%	$236,000	$34,042
9	East Orange	64,621	16.9%	$209,500	$38,403
10	South River	16,305	11.6%	$276,500	$65,254
11	Linden	41,595	9.7%	$264,900	$64,471
12	Kearny	42,029	9.1%	$314,000	$61,558
13	Carteret	23,966	11.2%	$259,900	$67,776
14	Passaic	70,536	7.7%	$303,600	$33,859
15	Keansburg	9,904	12.1%	$183,000	$44,808
16	West New York	52,407	10.1%	$324,000	$50,334
17	Union Beach	5,770	12.6%	$254,100	$66,596
18	Guttenberg	11,628	9.4%	$279,600	$54,368
19	Harrison	15,007	10.1%	$318,600	$58,047
20	Manville	10,448	8.4%	$248,900	$65,163
21	Haledon	8,399	12.5%	$259,100	$67,872
22	Prospect Park	5,919	7.4%	$249,800	$54,009
23	Fairview	14,314	9.0%	$352,800	$54,177
24	Fairview	14,314	9.0%	$352,800	$54,177
25	Keyport	7,136	6.1%	$257,300	$51,652
26	Little Ferry	10,868	9.6%	$325,700	$62,543
27	Hempstead	55,454	7.1%	$306,900	$56,239
28	Wharton	6,586	8.4%	$279,900	$66,284
29	Garfield	31,456	7.6%	$329,900	$48,254
30	Bloomingdale	7,995	8.8%	$306,800	$77,049
31	Jamesburg	6,001	7.8%	$266,100	$66,221
32	Red Bank	12,218	7.2%	$358,200	$69,778
33	Perth Amboy	52,265	4.0%	$246,500	$49,155
34	Mount Vernon	68,217	10.8%	$357,800	$51,886
35	Lodi	24,654	8.1%	$353,000	$53,807
36	Dover	18,317	5.3%	$262,900	$64,310
37	Yonkers	199,725	8.6%	$379,500	$61,272
38	Bayonne	65,772	6.9%	$312,900	$54,862
39	North Plainfield	22,106	6.3%	$269,900	$72,139
40	Bound Brook	10,512	4.3%	$275,700	$66,300
41	New Square	7,804	11.7%	$339,000	$21,773
42	Rahway	28,884	8.9%	$265,300	$66,457
43	Sayreville	44,260	7.6%	$292,200	$76,844
44	South Amboy	8,762	7.2%	$277,600	$66,294
45	New York	8,461,961	8.6%	$508,900	$55,191
46	Hackensack	44,271	5.0%	$291,500	$56,222
47	Dunellen	7,355	6.5%	$285,200	$76,333
48	Roselle Park	13,560	10.0%	$269,300	$66,168
49	Bogota	8,348	7.8%	$313,400	$78,059
50	Ridgefield	11,294	7.3%	$457,200	$70,461
51	Woodland Park	12,358	7.2%	$371,000	$70,473
52	Union	6,569	5.6%	$91,400	$64,608
53	South Plainfield	23,963	8.4%	$322,600	$91,957
54	Wanaque	11,636	6.7%	$295,900	$81,267
55	Somerville	12,207	6.1%	$286,200	$68,393
56	East Rutherford	9,236	5.6%	$383,300	$76,771
57	New Rochelle	79,299	7.5%	$545,700	$73,178
58	Carlstadt	6,238	7.7%	$386,200	$84,268
59	Glen Cove	27,246	4.7%	$479,800	$73,673
60	Cliffside Park	24,661	5.9%	$415,800	$60,616
61	Clifton	85,578	5.4%	$330,300	$71,830
62	Ridgefield Park	12,976	5.3%	$324,300	$64,980
63	Totowa	10,900	7.4%	$369,600	$96,573
64	Englewood	28,184	5.3%	$379,900	$77,272
65	Wallington	11,618	4.8%	$359,700	$57,813
66	North Arlington	15,788	6.5%	$348,500	$76,698
67	Pompton Lakes	11,163	6.5%	$294,800	$91,604
68	Palisades Park	20,499	4.6%	$506,000	$63,266
69	Mamaroneck	19,263	6.8%	$591,700	$80,099
70	Spotswood	8,418	6.2%	$286,100	$74,668
71	Matawan	8,894	6.7%	$316,100	$83,146
72	Nyack	6,788	4.9%	$444,800	$63,596
73	Raritan	7,539	4.0%	$334,900	$72,981
74	New Hempstead	5,311	8.9%	$471,200	$110,156
75	Valley Stream	37,626	9.5%	$371,500	$94,681
76	Secaucus	18,737	5.0%	$399,300	$94,160
77	Suffern	10,936	5.9%	$309,200	$85,395
78	Elmwood Park	20,135	4.8%	$346,500	$73,837
79	Kaser	5,082	5.7%	$568,200	$18,538
80	New Milford	16,682	7.1%	$394,200	$80,709
81	Leonia	9,137	5.7%	$473,200	$88,401
82	Middlesex	13,811	4.3%	$302,800	$82,663
83	Butler	7,773	5.5%	$345,100	$96,647
84	Bergenfield	27,513	5.7%	$332,700	$81,042
85	Oceanport	5,763	8.7%	$447,700	$106,648
86	Fort Lee	36,607	5.6%	$326,500	$75,449
87	North Haledon	8,490	9.3%	$436,000	$100,724
88	Chestnut Ridge	8,096	5.7%	$433,200	$96,146
89	Emerson	7,621	8.6%	$465,000	$109,613
90	Hawthorne	18,950	6.6%	$368,300	$89,472
91	Boonton	8,405	5.3%	$367,900	$90,082
92	Hasbrouck Heights	12,124	6.6%	$400,700	$82,870
93	Highland Park	14,245	5.2%	$353,000	$67,829
94	Kenilworth	8,129	4.6%	$346,100	$101,250
95	Mount Arlington	5,251	7.5%	$289,300	$85,282
96	Lincoln Park	10,488	3.9%	$334,100	$83,750
97	Maywood	9,726	6.7%	$373,500	$86,155
98	Airmont	8,833	4.1%	$460,100	$89,743
99	Montvale	8,285	7.2%	$600,500	$111,436
100	Long Beach	33,670	7.0%	$455,800	$84,256