What’s the best part of Newark? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Newark are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Newark neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to New Jersey and Newark is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$45,242 median income · $220,131 median home value
$50,730 median income · $232,478 median home value
$46,308 median income · $240,015 median home value
$43,950 median income · $258,362 median home value
$38,308 median income · $227,408 median home value
$49,386 median income · $180,792 median home value
$36,765 median income · $214,031 median home value
$33,687 median income · $210,724 median home value
$33,740 median income · $221,443 median home value
$42,834 median income · $129,883 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Jersey’s statewide median.
New Jersey statewide median: $103,556
New Jersey statewide median: $569,411
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Newark, NJ neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Newark, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 20 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Newark.” We’re lookin’ at you, North Ironbound.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Newark, New Jersey has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Newark.
The full plate
Table: Best Newark neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Ironbound | 43,436 | $220,131 | $45,242 |
| 2 | Upper Vailsburg | 16,780 | $232,478 | $50,730 |
| 3 | Weequahic | 20,316 | $240,015 | $46,308 |
| 4 | South Ironbound | 8,225 | $258,362 | $43,950 |
| 5 | Upper Clinton Hill | 16,214 | $227,408 | $38,308 |
| 6 | Lower Vailsburg | 17,181 | $180,792 | $49,386 |
| 7 | Upper Roseville | 17,368 | $214,031 | $36,765 |
| 8 | Forest Hill | 22,701 | $210,724 | $33,687 |
| 9 | North Broadway | 10,921 | $221,443 | $33,740 |
| 10 | Central Business District | 5,389 | $129,883 | $42,834 |
| 11 | University Heights | 9,646 | $146,370 | $36,350 |
| 12 | Mount Pleasant | 7,187 | $164,700 | $33,803 |
| 13 | Seventh Avenue | 10,536 | $151,667 | $32,132 |
| 14 | Fairmuont | 12,363 | $161,000 | $30,315 |
| 15 | Lower Roseville | 9,940 | $137,489 | $29,909 |
| 16 | West Side | 13,679 | $149,623 | $29,552 |
| 17 | Lower Clinton Hill | 2,585 | $131,567 | $32,357 |
| 18 | South Broad Street | 11,776 | $106,406 | $28,311 |
| 19 | Springfield-Belmont | 12,462 | $75,687 | $24,967 |
| 20 | Dayton-Weequahic Park | 2,788 | $87,600 | $23,837 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 20 Newark neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Newark
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Newark where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Newark are North Ironbound, Upper Vailsburg, Weequahic, South Ironbound, Upper Clinton Hill, Lower Vailsburg, Upper Roseville, Forest Hill, North Broadway, and Central Business District.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Newark aren’t all good. Dayton-Weequahic Park takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Newark.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on New Jersey? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Newark FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Newark?
North Ironbound is the best neighborhood in Newark for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Upper Vailsburg and Weequahic are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Newark?
The best neighborhoods in Newark are North Ironbound, Upper Vailsburg, Weequahic, South Ironbound, Upper Clinton Hill, Lower Vailsburg, Upper Roseville, Forest Hill, North Broadway, and Central Business District. We ranked all 20 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is North Ironbound?
The median household income in North Ironbound is $45,242 and the median home costs $220,131. The best blocks in Newark rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Newark neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, North Ironbound, takes the top spot.
Which Newark neighborhood ranked last?
Dayton-Weequahic Park came in last of the 20 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Newark the numbers put it there.
