The 10 Safest Cities In New Jersey For 2026

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.

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.

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 2026.

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.

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.

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.