The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Jersey For 2023


We used Saturday Night Science to determine the worst small towns in New Jersey.

By: Nick Johnson | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: October 14, 2023

Most Americans have never been to small town New Jersey. However, as the New Jerseyan who live there know, small town New Jersey is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, New Jersey has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Garden State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 199 of New Jersey’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in New Jersey where you’d never want to live:

So what is the worst small town to call home in New Jersey for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Seabrook Farms is the worst small town to live in New Jersey.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Seabrook Farms home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in New Jersey or the worst places to live in New Jersey.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Jersey For 2023

1. Seabrook Farms

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,355
Median Home Value: $89,500 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.6% (10th worst)

2. Egg Harbor City

Egg Harbor City, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,368
Median Home Value: $144,100 (13th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.0% (45th worst)

3. Port Norris

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,697
Median Home Value: $111,800 (7th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (7worst)

4. Laurel Lake

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,396
Median Home Value: $114,400 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 10.4% (20th worst)

5. Woodbine

Woodbine, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,288
Median Home Value: $164,100 (20th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.8% (66th worst)

6. Penns Grove

Penns Grove, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,836
Median Home Value: $124,700 (12th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 18.4% (2nd worst)

7. Voorhees

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,586
Median Home Value: $298,700 (98th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.9% (13th worst)

8. Chesilhurst

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,421
Median Home Value: $156,300 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.8% (83rd worst)

9. Oxford

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,164
Median Home Value: $173,400 (25th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (103rd worst)

10. Woodlynne

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,902
Median Home Value: $105,300 (5th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.4% (37th worst)

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in New Jersey is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in New Jersey, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2017-2021 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower, the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 199 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in New Jersey.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In New Jersey

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Garden State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in New Jersey, according to science:

  1. Spring Lake (Pop. 2,814)
  2. Essex Fells (Pop. 2,270)
  3. Ho-Ho-Kus (Pop. 4,248)

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In New Jersey

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Seabrook Farms 1,355 12.6% $89,500
2 Egg Harbor City 4,368 8.0% $144,100
3 Port Norris 1,697 6.6% $111,800
4 Laurel Lake 2,396 10.4% $114,400
5 Woodbine 2,288 6.8% $164,100
6 Penns Grove 4,836 18.4% $124,700
7 Voorhees 1,586 11.9% $298,700
8 Chesilhurst 1,421 5.8% $156,300
9 Oxford 1,164 5.2% $173,400
10 Woodlynne 2,902 8.4% $105,300
11 Leisure Village East 4,598 18.5% $184,000
12 Cedar Glen Lakes 1,540 7.3% $81,100
13 Manahawkin 2,097 8.8% $325,600
14 Victory Gardens 1,666 7.0% $184,700
15 Buena 4,489 8.3% $188,500
16 Whitesboro 2,361 4.7% $177,100
17 Cedar Glen West 1,827 3.3% $55,500
18 Audubon Park 1,034 9.3% $75,000
19 Pemberton 1,301 8.0% $252,200
20 Holiday Heights 2,150 8.1% $235,000
21 East Newark 3,021 7.9% $303,400
22 Beverly 2,107 12.3% $159,600
23 Brooklawn 1,837 8.6% $121,200
24 Rio Grande 3,530 14.9% $283,200
25 Lakehurst 2,629 5.6% $194,200
26 South Toms River 3,641 7.9% $210,600
27 Pine Ridge At Crestwood 2,639 10.8% $107,200
28 Presidential Lakes Estates 2,006 11.6% $207,300
29 Lawnside 2,980 8.6% $170,900
30 Rosenhayn 1,580 5.4% $196,500
31 Westville 4,303 5.4% $157,800
32 Franklin 4,904 7.4% $190,100
33 Sussex 1,913 4.9% $213,200
34 Victory Lakes 1,517 4.3% $179,900
35 National Park 3,064 8.3% $159,200
36 Silver Lake Cdp (Essex County) 4,159 7.8% $381,600
37 Blackwood 4,477 6.4% $186,400
38 New Egypt 1,813 8.2% $291,900
39 Hampton 1,014 5.6% $274,300
40 Seaside Heights 2,161 4.5% $291,700
41 Ogdensburg 2,192 13.3% $235,600
42 Brass Castle 1,620 11.6% $275,400
43 Magnolia 4,329 9.6% $168,200
44 Belvidere 2,525 8.6% $216,400
45 Oak Valley 4,322 5.6% $175,600
46 Upper Pohatcong 1,821 6.6% $190,400
47 Vernon Center 1,471 2.3% $117,600
48 Concordia 2,746 12.5% $238,900
49 Leisuretowne 3,209 8.4% $176,200
50 Folsom 1,725 6.6% $191,800
51 Kingston 1,041 9.4% $335,400
52 Rossmoor 2,780 11.4% $124,200
53 Gibbsboro 2,303 8.0% $236,500
54 Flemington 4,819 4.8% $335,600
55 Mount Ephraim 4,632 9.8% $172,700
56 Florence 4,672 7.6% $223,000
57 Tuckerton 3,558 7.8% $247,000
58 South Bound Brook 4,818 8.0% $275,900
59 Holiday City South 4,077 0.0% $195,200
60 North Cape May 3,776 5.6% $253,900
61 Gibbstown 3,500 5.3% $186,500
62 Leisure Knoll 2,653 5.3% $209,800
63 Alpha 2,290 3.6% $196,000
64 Ocean Gate 1,629 6.3% $268,300
65 Golden Triangle 4,710 2.6% $253,400
66 Neptune City 4,637 10.2% $315,300
67 Leisure Village West 4,019 4.0% $156,400
68 Beattystown 4,481 4.4% $339,600
69 Point Pleasant Beach 4,748 8.7% $616,200
70 Silver Ridge 1,106 0.0% $180,800
71 High Bridge 3,547 5.8% $267,600
72 Lake Como 1,746 8.4% $452,200
73 Merchantville 3,797 2.2% $236,300
74 Wood 3,638 4.1% $223,900
75 Netcong 3,418 2.4% $284,500
76 Collings Lakes 1,548 1.2% $146,300
77 Wildwood Crest 3,084 14.0% $398,700
78 North Wildwood 3,625 6.3% $391,200
79 Crandon Lakes 1,400 4.5% $222,700
80 Groveville 3,257 14.2% $314,100
81 Englis 2,145 8.7% $353,300
82 Farmingdale 1,285 12.6% $318,700
83 Beach Haven 1,074 6.7% $854,900
84 Port Monmouth 3,852 8.6% $313,800
85 Elmer 1,285 2.9% $190,500
86 Glen Gardner 1,627 3.8% $230,300
87 Milford 1,141 5.8% $268,600
88 Long Valley 2,108 3.3% $378,600
89 Erma 1,957 14.0% $324,300
90 Pemberton Heights 2,759 0.6% $191,900
91 Barnegat 3,670 4.5% $308,600
92 Kenvil 1,905 1.5% $306,500
93 Helmetta 2,365 7.1% $254,900
94 Moonachie 3,079 2.7% $373,500
95 Swedesboro 2,721 3.0% $204,500
96 Princeton Junction 2,208 10.2% $574,100
97 Brookfield 1,024 0.0% $263,100
98 Frenc 1,673 4.4% $295,400
99 Far Hills 1,001 10.8% $691,100
100 Sewaren 3,342 5.4% $321,700
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

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