Like all states, New Jersey has certain places that are going on hard times. These New Jersey places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in New Jersey.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 190 cities in New Jersey with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In New Jersey For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in New Jersey? According to the facts, Atlantic City is the poorest place in New Jersey for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In New Jersey For 2024
1. Atlantic City
/10
Population: 38,487
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Income: $35,188 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 12,469
More on Atlantic City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Atlantic City, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in New Jersey thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 38,487 people averages the 2nd lowest median household income in New Jersey and the 2nd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Salem
/10
The second poorest city in New Jersey is Salem.
The city ranks as having the 4th highest incidence of poverty and lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 4th highest in the Garden State.
3. Bridgeton
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Population: 26,895
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $44,440 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.7% (highest)
People In Poverty: 8,800
More on Bridgeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Bridgeton’s median income ranks as the 4th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 32.72% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Garden State.
4. Camden
/10
Population: 71,799
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Income: $36,258 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.6% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 22,710
More on Camden: Data | Cost Of Living
Camden ranks as the fourth poorest place in New Jersey.
The town ranks as having the 3rd lowest median household income and the 5th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Trenton
/10
Population: 90,055
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Income: $44,444 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.2% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 23,576
More on Trenton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in New Jersey is Trenton.
The city ranks as having the 5th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 6th highest in New Jersey.
Still not the best news for Trenton.
6. Newark
/10
Population: 307,355
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $46,460 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.4% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 75,117
More on Newark: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Newark ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Garden State.
It ranks as having the 8th highest incidence of poverty and the 9th highest unemployment rate.
7. Pleasantville
/10
Population: 20,562
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Median Income: $48,704 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.6% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,068
More on Pleasantville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Pleasantville places as the seventh poorest city in New Jersey.
The city of over 20,562 ranks as having the 7th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. New Brunswick
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Population: 55,718
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Income: $57,138 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.9% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 17,762
More on New Brunswick: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
New Brunswick ranks as the eighth poorest city in New Jersey.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Paterson
/10
Population: 157,864
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Income: $52,092 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.7% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 37,445
More on Paterson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Paterson couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in New Jersey; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 9th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Paterson ranks as having the 9th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in New Jersey.
10. Lindenwold
/10
Population: 21,337
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 6)
Median Income: $53,645 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 22.9% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,875
More on Lindenwold: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in New Jersey is Lindenwold.
The city of 21,337 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Garden State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In New Jersey for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 190 places with more than 5,000 people in New Jersey, we ranked each place from 1 to 190 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Atlantic City, crowned the “Poorest Place In New Jersey For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in New Jersey.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In New Jersey For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in New Jersey, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in New Jersey.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in New Jersey, according to data:
-
Richest: Fair Haven
2nd Richest: Glen Ridge
3rd Richest: North Caldwell
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New Jersey
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Expensive Places To Live In New Jersey
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In New Jersey
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic City | 38,487 | 32.4% | $35,188 | 12,469 |
| 2 | Salem | 5,285 | 31.6% | $35,143 | 1,671 |
| 3 | Bridgeton | 26,895 | 32.7% | $44,440 | 8,800 |
| 4 | Camden | 71,799 | 31.6% | $36,258 | 22,710 |
| 5 | Trenton | 90,055 | 26.2% | $44,444 | 23,576 |
| 6 | Newark | 307,355 | 24.4% | $46,460 | 75,117 |
| 7 | Pleasantville | 20,562 | 24.6% | $48,704 | 5,068 |
| 8 | New Brunswick | 55,718 | 31.9% | $57,138 | 17,762 |
| 9 | Paterson | 157,864 | 23.7% | $52,092 | 37,445 |
| 10 | Lindenwold | 21,337 | 22.9% | $53,645 | 4,875 |
| 11 | Passaic | 70,048 | 21.9% | $57,832 | 15,340 |
| 12 | Perth Amboy | 55,226 | 19.7% | $56,239 | 10,873 |
| 13 | Wildwood | 5,164 | 17.6% | $49,131 | 906 |
| 14 | Union City | 67,258 | 20.3% | $59,967 | 13,660 |
| 15 | Prospect Park | 6,299 | 17.3% | $54,271 | 1,091 |
| 16 | Asbury Park | 15,245 | 19.7% | $63,461 | 3,001 |
| 17 | East Orange | 68,879 | 18.4% | $58,659 | 12,687 |
| 18 | Fairview | 14,935 | 16.8% | $59,359 | 2,506 |
| 19 | West New York | 52,438 | 20.7% | $70,141 | 10,844 |
| 20 | Elizabeth | 135,665 | 15.3% | $59,939 | 20,824 |
| 21 | Plainfield | 54,358 | 18.6% | $70,712 | 10,094 |
| 22 | Phillipsburg | 15,206 | 15.6% | $64,130 | 2,370 |
| 23 | Long Branch | 31,932 | 19.1% | $72,234 | 6,086 |
| 24 | Pine Hill | 10,698 | 15.5% | $69,176 | 1,659 |
| 25 | Vineland | 60,796 | 13.5% | $63,468 | 8,213 |
| 26 | Freehold | 12,498 | 15.2% | $71,205 | 1,897 |
| 27 | Glassboro | 23,014 | 19.1% | $78,518 | 4,402 |
| 28 | Dover | 18,426 | 13.2% | $67,987 | 2,426 |
| 29 | Garfield | 32,472 | 14.8% | $72,026 | 4,815 |
| 30 | Burlington | 9,833 | 12.5% | $69,351 | 1,231 |
| 31 | Guttenberg | 11,765 | 16.0% | $76,187 | 1,881 |
| 32 | Harrison | 19,217 | 14.1% | $72,773 | 2,717 |
| 33 | Millville | 27,523 | 11.4% | $65,279 | 3,126 |
| 34 | Newton | 8,370 | 12.8% | $72,240 | 1,072 |
| 35 | Dunellen | 7,598 | 20.0% | $86,532 | 1,516 |
| 36 | Woodbury | 9,981 | 13.5% | $75,425 | 1,343 |
| 37 | Somers Point | 10,482 | 11.3% | $68,262 | 1,185 |
| 38 | Keansburg | 9,761 | 15.7% | $80,144 | 1,529 |
| 39 | Gloucester City | 11,435 | 11.6% | $71,756 | 1,328 |
| 40 | Ventnor City | 9,285 | 11.3% | $71,321 | 1,052 |
| 41 | Clementon | 5,312 | 9.8% | $62,917 | 517 |
| 42 | Washington | 7,240 | 10.2% | $67,761 | 739 |
| 43 | Hackensack | 45,758 | 12.4% | $79,133 | 5,660 |
| 44 | Somerdale | 5,524 | 15.0% | $83,778 | 826 |
| 45 | Paulsboro | 6,195 | 8.9% | $58,271 | 551 |
| 46 | Wharton | 7,217 | 17.8% | $91,557 | 1,281 |
| 47 | Collingswood | 14,135 | 11.8% | $78,909 | 1,674 |
| 48 | Lodi | 25,969 | 12.0% | $80,044 | 3,121 |
| 49 | North Plainfield | 22,695 | 12.2% | $81,219 | 2,775 |
| 50 | Bayonne | 70,497 | 11.9% | $80,044 | 8,424 |
| 51 | Jersey City | 287,899 | 15.1% | $91,151 | 43,559 |
| 52 | Elmwood Park | 21,261 | 12.0% | $84,578 | 2,549 |
| 53 | Wallington | 11,838 | 10.8% | $79,270 | 1,274 |
| 54 | Hammonton | 14,732 | 10.6% | $79,747 | 1,563 |
| 55 | Kearny | 41,157 | 10.9% | $81,307 | 4,477 |
| 56 | Absecon | 9,086 | 9.2% | $73,141 | 833 |
| 57 | Bellmawr | 11,677 | 8.8% | $71,935 | 1,025 |
| 58 | Carteret | 25,161 | 10.1% | $79,049 | 2,551 |
| 59 | Englewood | 29,109 | 13.5% | $93,134 | 3,932 |
| 60 | Little Ferry | 10,954 | 9.0% | $72,722 | 982 |
| 61 | Bound Brook | 11,906 | 9.4% | $78,776 | 1,122 |
| 62 | Manville | 10,892 | 10.6% | $85,925 | 1,151 |
| 63 | Palisades Park | 20,231 | 12.1% | $93,250 | 2,441 |
| 64 | Roselle | 22,500 | 8.3% | $75,264 | 1,869 |
| 65 | Runnemede | 8,307 | 10.0% | $85,700 | 833 |
| 66 | Red Bank | 12,868 | 10.3% | $89,500 | 1,324 |
| 67 | South River | 16,081 | 12.2% | $95,981 | 1,968 |
| 68 | Ridgefield Park | 13,161 | 11.7% | $94,047 | 1,545 |
| 69 | Woodland Park | 13,291 | 10.3% | $90,323 | 1,370 |
| 70 | Keyport | 7,188 | 7.7% | $75,709 | 549 |
| 71 | Brigantine | 7,784 | 10.3% | $91,307 | 800 |
| 72 | Carlstadt | 6,341 | 9.5% | $89,669 | 604 |
| 73 | Stratford | 6,962 | 9.4% | $89,200 | 654 |
| 74 | Palmyra | 7,437 | 8.9% | $84,866 | 661 |
| 75 | Highland Park | 14,996 | 10.5% | $93,927 | 1,580 |
| 76 | Cliffside Park | 25,546 | 11.1% | $96,734 | 2,845 |
| 77 | Linden | 43,478 | 8.0% | $86,801 | 3,495 |
| 78 | Ocean City | 11,260 | 10.3% | $98,576 | 1,155 |
| 79 | Clayton | 8,801 | 8.3% | $91,711 | 729 |
| 80 | Belmar | 5,877 | 7.4% | $89,736 | 434 |
| 81 | Barrington | 7,022 | 6.1% | $82,070 | 431 |
| 82 | Eato | 13,522 | 7.0% | $88,393 | 949 |
| 83 | Rahway | 29,664 | 6.9% | $86,557 | 2,037 |
| 84 | North Arlington | 16,352 | 9.1% | $96,869 | 1,492 |
| 85 | Morristown | 20,126 | 11.2% | $113,926 | 2,244 |
| 86 | South Amboy | 9,336 | 7.3% | $94,776 | 683 |
| 87 | Haledon | 8,945 | 8.6% | $98,462 | 764 |
| 88 | Clifton | 89,451 | 7.2% | $94,179 | 6,485 |
| 89 | Rockaway | 6,589 | 7.0% | $93,750 | 459 |
| 90 | Kenilworth | 8,345 | 8.0% | $97,600 | 667 |
| 91 | Tinton Falls | 19,180 | 9.1% | $107,959 | 1,753 |
| 92 | Fort Lee | 39,799 | 8.2% | $101,573 | 3,279 |
| 93 | Hackett | 10,111 | 6.7% | $95,174 | 677 |
| 94 | East Rutherford | 10,020 | 5.7% | $92,536 | 572 |
| 95 | Hasbrouck Heights | 12,080 | 9.2% | $114,219 | 1,113 |
| 96 | Middlesex | 14,525 | 7.1% | $101,868 | 1,037 |
| 97 | Boonton | 8,781 | 6.0% | $96,500 | 525 |
| 98 | Pitman | 8,805 | 4.6% | $91,566 | 406 |
| 99 | Pompton Lakes | 11,052 | 8.8% | $113,781 | 968 |
| 100 | Sayreville | 45,136 | 5.3% | $95,250 | 2,410 |