The 10 Safest Cities In New Jersey For 2025
The safest cities in New Jersey are Matawan and Emerson for 2025 using Saturday Night Science.
When you first think of New Jersey, Newark may come to mind. This city is best known as an airport hub rather than the safest city in the state.
But it turns out that when you get past Newark, some of the safest places to live on the East Coast are these safe places in New Jersey. In particular, we looked at the most recent FBI crime data to see which areas in the Garden State are the safest. Furthermore, our analysis ranks New Jersey as the 11th safest state in America. But what about within New Jersey? Which areas offer the most to residents in terms of safety?
These New Jersey locations offer a compelling blend of safety and lifestyle, sure to appeal to many future residents. So grab some Taylor Ham, a nice bagel, and fresh corn as we look at the safest places in New Jersey.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
Here are the 10 safest cities to live in New Jersey for 2025:
- Matawan
- Emerson
- Allendale
- Mount Arlington
- Chester
- Vernon
- Harrington Park
- Hillsdale
- Lebanon
- Bernards
What are the safest places to live in new jersey for 2025? Using the latest FBI crime data, the safest city in New Jersey is Matawan for 2025.
If you're looking for a safe place to call home in the Garden State, look no further than Matawan.
Read on to see if your city ranked in our top ten and to learn more about how we got our ranking of New Jersey's safest places.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around New Jersey, check out:
- Safest States In America
- Safest Cities In America
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
The 10 Safest Cities In New Jersey For 2025
Population: 9,757
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 20 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Matawan: Data | Real Estate
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Our next stop around NJ's safest places brings us to Matawan -- and we still haven't had to pump our own gas as we've made the trip.
Matawan is a great place to live in Monmouth county because it's super safe and actually somewhat affordable by New Jersey standards.
Home to the annual KiDz HuB Awards Gala and plenty of escape rooms, there's so much to do that you'd never have time to even think of committing a crime. Or you probably went to sleep before 10pm and just weren't up late enough to even bother trying to steal something from a neighbor.
Population: 7,402
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 94 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Emerson: Data | Real Estate
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Emerson has moved around in the rankings the past several years, but still finds itself at a very respectable second safest in New Jersey.
As the city website mentions, it's a "Great Place To Live" as evidenced by the lack of crime amongst its residences. The city scores well on our SnackAbility score thanks to a strong economy, affordable home prices, and low poverty. All of those attributes must contribute to Choctaw's solidly better than average violent and property crime rates.
Emerson is located in Bergen County.
Population: 6,926
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 115 (seventh safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Allendale: Data | Real Estate
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Population: 6,070
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 148 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Mount Arlington: Data | Real Estate
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Population: 7,875
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 165 (11th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Chester: Data | Real Estate
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After a day romping around the state park and munching cider hot dogs from Hacklebarney Farm Cider Mill, what do you do in Chester? Well, you definitely don't get accosted by a criminal, that's for sure. Chester made some big gains in safety over the past year, with the township jumping up 18 spots to achieve the fifth spot in 2025.
Chester is about 40 miles west of New York City and I'm proud to say I was employee of the month at the Chester Movie theater back in January 2005.
Population: 22,851
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 4 (17th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 170 (13th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Vernon: Real Estate
Vernon, a township in Sussex County situated just an hour away from New York City, ranks as the sixth safest place in New Jersey. With its growing population of 22,851 due to the ski industry, the township showcases a strong safety record with 1 violent crimes reported. The minimal 39 property crime incidents further cement its status as the sixth safest place in New Jersey.
Population: 5,193
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 211 (22nd safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Harrington Park: Data | Real Estate
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Population: 10,264
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 263 (28th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Hillsdale: Data | Real Estate
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Population: 6,224
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 289 (33rd safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Lebanon: Data | Real Estate
/10
Population: 28,921
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 10 (28th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 176 (14th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Bernards: Real Estate
Want to get from Bernards Township, New Jersey, to the middle of the action in New York City? Just jump on I-78 and drive for about hour. This makes the town a perfect bedroom community for commuters to Manhattan. It doesn't hurt that the area also represents the number 10 safest place to live in the state.
Bernards offers an idyllic suburban existence. The median income equals $104068 and the unemployment rate comes in at 6.3. But safety represents the real headline attraction. In a community of 28,921 inhabitants, Bernards Township had just 51 property crimes in a year, including 20 burglaries and 2 cars stolen.
At the same time, violence is nearly nonexistent in the town. There were 3 violent crimes in a year.
Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in New Jersey for 2025
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in New Jersey are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in New Jersey.
Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
- Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
- Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)
For example, there were 2 crimes committed in Matawan, with a reported population of 9,757. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0002, which translates into a 1 in 4,878 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at New Jersey cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 308 of the biggest cities in New Jersey to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 308 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In New Jersey," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in New Jersey, based on our criteria, is Matawan. The most dangerous city in New Jersey? Atlantic City, where residents had a 1 in 12 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2025. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in New Jersey. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.
Summary: The Safest Cities In The Garden State
Looking at the data, you can tell that Matawan is as safe as they come in New Jersey, according to science and data.
But as most New Jersey residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
The safest places in New Jersey are .
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in New Jersey according to the data:
- Atlantic City
- Bridgeton
- Camden
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey
- Best Places To Buy A House In New Jersey
- Best Places To Retire In New Jersey
Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In New Jersey For 2025?
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matawan, NJ | 9,757 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Emerson, NJ | 7,402 | 0 | 94 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Allendale, NJ | 6,926 | 0 | 115 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Mount Arlington, NJ | 6,070 | 0 | 148 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Chester, NJ | 7,875 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Vernon, NJ | 22,851 | 4 | 170 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Harrington Park, NJ | 5,193 | 0 | 211 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Hillsdale, NJ | 10,264 | 0 | 263 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Lebanon, NJ | 6,224 | 0 | 289 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Bernards, NJ | 28,921 | 10 | 176 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Randolph, NJ | 27,159 | 3 | 290 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Chesterfield, NJ | 9,299 | 21 | 75 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Fair Haven, NJ | 6,063 | 16 | 181 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Kinnelon, NJ | 10,250 | 9 | 351 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Dumont, NJ | 18,765 | 15 | 287 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Haddon Heights, NJ | 7,682 | 0 | 494 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Mountainside, NJ | 7,053 | 14 | 340 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Rockaway, NJ | 6,744 | 14 | 326 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Franklin, NJ | 5,047 | 0 | 515 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Woolwich, NJ | 14,573 | 0 | 521 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Tenafly, NJ | 15,451 | 6 | 465 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Pitman, NJ | 9,105 | 21 | 285 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Wyckoff, NJ | 17,594 | 5 | 494 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Madison, NJ | 16,643 | 12 | 408 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Warren, NJ | 16,655 | 18 | 342 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Long Hill, NJ | 8,804 | 22 | 318 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Waldwick, NJ | 10,332 | 19 | 348 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | New Milford, NJ | 17,261 | 11 | 486 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | North Hanover, NJ | 8,024 | 37 | 124 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Ringwood, NJ | 11,623 | 34 | 180 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Hackettstown, NJ | 10,090 | 9 | 515 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Pequannock, NJ | 15,964 | 6 | 563 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Denville, NJ | 17,546 | 17 | 427 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Wanaque, NJ | 11,213 | 35 | 187 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | River Vale, NJ | 10,412 | 28 | 288 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Middlesex Borough, NJ | 14,731 | 20 | 393 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Andover, NJ | 5,524 | 36 | 199 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Bedminster, NJ | 8,360 | 23 | 382 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Oakland, NJ | 12,944 | 30 | 339 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Norwood, NJ | 5,890 | 33 | 322 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | Franklin Lakes, NJ | 11,251 | 26 | 373 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Westfield, NJ | 31,111 | 16 | 556 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Roxbury, NJ | 23,773 | 0 | 702 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Park Ridge, NJ | 9,855 | 40 | 223 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | South River, NJ | 16,237 | 49 | 98 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Chatham, NJ | 9,505 | 21 | 504 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Oradell, NJ | 8,354 | 47 | 167 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Readington, NJ | 16,307 | 24 | 441 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Independence, NJ | 5,539 | 54 | 72 | 18 | 1 |
| 50 | Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 12,272 | 24 | 472 | 0 | 0 |
| 51 | Waterford, NJ | 10,678 | 9 | 655 | 0 | 0 |
| 52 | Old Tappan, NJ | 6,282 | 47 | 191 | 0 | 0 |
| 53 | Jamesburg, NJ | 5,851 | 34 | 358 | 0 | 0 |
| 54 | New Providence, NJ | 13,717 | 43 | 255 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 | Montgomery, NJ | 24,343 | 32 | 394 | 0 | 0 |
| 56 | Cedar Grove, NJ | 13,705 | 14 | 634 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | Woodcliff Lake, NJ | 6,256 | 0 | 735 | 0 | 0 |
| 58 | Colts Neck, NJ | 9,898 | 10 | 676 | 0 | 0 |
| 59 | Bergenfield, NJ | 28,879 | 48 | 232 | 0 | 0 |
| 60 | Glen Rock, NJ | 12,331 | 16 | 616 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 | North Caldwell, NJ | 6,685 | 14 | 643 | 0 | 0 |
| 62 | Leonia, NJ | 9,507 | 31 | 483 | 0 | 0 |
| 63 | Lincoln Park, NJ | 11,211 | 17 | 606 | 0 | 0 |
| 64 | Montville, NJ | 23,015 | 17 | 638 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 | Morris, NJ | 24,191 | 24 | 562 | 0 | 0 |
| 66 | Holmdel, NJ | 17,407 | 22 | 585 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 | Rumson, NJ | 7,127 | 42 | 350 | 0 | 0 |
| 68 | Westwood, NJ | 11,441 | 52 | 253 | 0 | 0 |
| 69 | Barnegat, NJ | 26,713 | 63 | 78 | 0 | 0 |
| 70 | Jackson, NJ | 62,326 | 40 | 428 | 1 | 1 |
| 71 | Florham Park, NJ | 14,942 | 26 | 575 | 0 | 0 |
| 72 | Linwood, NJ | 6,961 | 14 | 718 | 0 | 0 |
| 73 | Wood-Ridge, NJ | 10,449 | 28 | 574 | 0 | 0 |
| 74 | Butler, NJ | 8,346 | 35 | 503 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Hardyston, NJ | 8,510 | 58 | 211 | 0 | 0 |
| 76 | Fanwood, NJ | 7,790 | 12 | 731 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | North Haledon, NJ | 8,732 | 57 | 286 | 0 | 0 |
| 78 | Blairstown, NJ | 5,777 | 69 | 155 | 0 | 0 |
| 79 | Oceanport, NJ | 6,174 | 48 | 372 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Little Silver, NJ | 6,029 | 33 | 597 | 0 | 0 |
| 81 | Roseland, NJ | 6,268 | 15 | 749 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | Scotch Plains, NJ | 24,820 | 40 | 515 | 0 | 0 |
| 83 | Palisades Park, NJ | 20,477 | 24 | 688 | 0 | 0 |
| 84 | Hopatcong, NJ | 14,721 | 74 | 176 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 | Cranford, NJ | 24,232 | 12 | 812 | 0 | 0 |
| 86 | Sparta, NJ | 20,390 | 39 | 573 | 0 | 0 |
| 87 | River Edge, NJ | 12,236 | 16 | 768 | 0 | 0 |
| 88 | Bogota, NJ | 10,126 | 49 | 454 | 0 | 0 |
| 89 | Bernardsville, NJ | 8,018 | 37 | 598 | 0 | 0 |
| 90 | Caldwell, NJ | 8,976 | 66 | 323 | 0 | 0 |
| 91 | Manalapan, NJ | 40,430 | 34 | 648 | 0 | 0 |
| 92 | Green Brook, NJ | 7,485 | 40 | 601 | 0 | 0 |
| 93 | Northfield, NJ | 8,427 | 0 | 1,079 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | Hillsborough, NJ | 45,555 | 61 | 390 | 0 | 0 |
| 95 | Ridgewood, NJ | 26,864 | 44 | 584 | 0 | 0 |
| 96 | Garwood, NJ | 5,558 | 0 | 1,115 | 0 | 0 |
| 97 | Mahwah, NJ | 25,873 | 61 | 425 | 0 | 0 |
| 98 | Manchester, NJ | 47,488 | 61 | 450 | 4 | 2 |
| 99 | Mount Olive, NJ | 30,034 | 56 | 512 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 | Roselle Park, NJ | 14,212 | 35 | 710 | 0 | 0 |
Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
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.
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