Most dangerous cities in New Jersey research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to determine the most dangerous cities in New Jersey.
We examined the violent and property crime per capita statistics for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 330 New Jersey cities. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The most dangerous city in New Jersey is Atlantic City based on the most recent FBI crime data.
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The violent crime rate in New Jersey is 1,690 per 100k people.
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The property crime rate in New Jersey is 8,033 per 100k people.
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The safest city in New Jersey is New Hanover.
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New Jersey is the 47th most dangerous state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Methodology | FAQs | References
If there’s anything the Sporanos taught me, some things are more dangerous in New Jersey than a slow driver on the Garden State Parkway.
New Jersey has its fair share of dangerous cities.
We’re not saying that there aren’t little pockets of goodness in these Jersey cities like Newark and Jersey City. There are neighborhoods and shopping centers in these cities that are safe. However, you should spend some time studying these cities before you make a move.
To compile our report, we used Saturday Night Science to compare violent and property crime rates in New Jersey cities with a population of 5,000. That left us with 330 cities to rank.
The Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey For 2024
What is the most dangerous place in New Jersey for 2024? The most dangerous place in New Jersey is Atlantic City.
If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in New Jersey are, look at the list below. Or head to the bottom for a complete list of crime everywhere in New Jersey.
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Most dangerous cities in the US
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In New Jersey For 2024
/10
Population: 38,502
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,690 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 8,033 (Most dangerous)
Murders: 7
More on Atlantic City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
A resort city known for its casinos, beaches, and boardwalk, as well as inspiring the board of Monopoly, Atlantic City is also New Jersey’s most dangerous city.
If you watched Boardwalk Empire, you know that the Atlantic City we know today was founded on crime, and today it still has the highest overall crime rate in New Jersey.
People in Atlantic City had a 1 in 12 of being the victim of a property crime in 2022. And it isn’t all stolen poker winnings, either; the city also had the seventh highest murder rate in New Jersey.
2. Wildwood
/10
Population: 5,105
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,077 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,640 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Wildwood:
Wildwood, a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, is ranked as the second most dangerous place to live in the state for 2024. In terms of violent crime, Wildwood has reported 55 incidents, including 7 robberies and 48 aggravated assaults. Property crime is also prevalent, with 339 reported incidents, including 28 burglaries.
Wildwood is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area and the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden combined statistical area. As a popular Jersey Shore resort destination, the city experiences a significant increase in population during the summer months, reaching up to 250,000 people. This influx of tourists leads to higher-than-expected per capita crime rates for the city’s residents.
/10
Population: 15,209
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,078 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,622 (Ninth most dangerous)
Murders: 3
More on Asbury Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City metro area, Asbury Park raks as New Jersey’s third most dangerous place.
The overall crime rate in Asbury Park is more than three times as high as the statewide average and it’s telling that most of that comes from violent crime.
Residents had a 1 in 92 chance of being attacked, killed, or raped in 2022, so don’t let your guard down at the the boardwalk.
/10
Population: 27,550
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 504 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,858 (Eighth most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Millville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Millville is nowhere near as violent as Camden, but with a property crime rate that ranks as the eighth highest in the state, the smaller city actually has a higher total crime rate.
Make sure you’ve still got all your valuables spending time at one of Millville’s parks and make sure you keep your doors locked, or you’ll join the 1 in 25 residents who had their property stolen or damaged in 2022.
/10
Population: 26,524
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 705 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,185 (13th most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Bridgeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Located an hour south of Philadelphia, Bridgeton takes the fifth place position on our list of New Jersey’s most dangerous places.
While there might be bears and tigers at Bridgeton’s local zoo, but the real scary stuff is going down on Bridgeton’s streets, where violent crimes are the ninth most common statewide.
It’s also probably a good idea to lock all your doors and Bridgeton because the city had the tenth highest burglary rate in New Jersey for 2022.
/10
Population: 71,616
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,570 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,750 (22nd most dangerous)
Murders: 28
More on Camden: Data | Cost Of Living
Let’s be frank — Camden has a national reputation for violent crime and the numbers back up the stereotype in this case. Camden had the second most violent crime of anywhere in New Jersey for 2022 and the second highest murder rate.
To balance out this narrative a little, we should mention that Camden had 67 murders in 2012 and only 28 in 2022, so things are improving here.
Other types of crime are down in recent years as well and many look to Camden as a model for model for police reform.
To quote the Camden County Police Department Chief of Police, “I would qualify the statistics as progress and not success.”
/10
Population: 10,108
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 356 (24th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,502 (Tenth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Woodbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The name “Woodbury” will fool you on two fronts at once. First, the “wood” part. This isn’t a tiny hamlet tucked into a forest enclave. Rather, it’s actually part of the greater Philadelphia metro area, located about 20 minutes from the center of the big city.
Meanwhile, the “bury” part is a little deceiving as well. Yes, this is the number 7 most dangerous place in New Jersey. But violence really isn’t its biggest problem — if you end up buried in Woodbury, it’s likely because of natural causes. Instead, you should be more afraid of property crime around here. The town of 10,108 people suffers the number 47 highest pace of burglaries in the state.
/10
Population: 9,153
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 327 (27th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,299 (12th most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Absecon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Absecon gets its name from a local tribe of Native Americans. Its located along the coast, in the southern part of New Jersey, potentially a scenic place to spend a summer day, with the town situated just a short 15-minute drive from the middle of Atlantic City.
Unfortunately, the resort atmosphere is shattered by a high crime rate. Violence remains relatively subdued in the community. But property crime poses a major threat. Absecon presents the number 20 rate of burglaries and the number 12 pace of larcenies in the state.
/10
Population: 61,110
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 458 (15th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,562 (24th most dangerous)
Murders: 7
More on Vineland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
In Cumberland County, Vineland is the ninth most dangerous place to live in New Jersey for 2024. The city boasts a population of 61,110, but it’s plagued with a relatively high crime rate. With 280 reported violent crimes and 1,566 property crimes, the city’s safety statistics are concerning.
Vineland ranks 15th highest in violent crimes with 7 murders and 28 rapes reported. Property crimes rank as the 24th highest in the state.
/10
Population: 134,065
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 480 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,551 (26th most dangerous)
Murders: 2
More on Elizabeth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
New Jersey’s 5th most populous city, Elizabeth, also has the tenth highest crime rate in the state for 2024.
Violent crime is especially bad in Elizabeth, but the majority of the 644 crimes committed in 2022 were robberies or assaults.
Elizabeth has been inching its way up this list for the past couple of years while its northern neighbor Newark has been slowly achieving better and better crime numbers.
Crime By City In New Jersey
| Rank | City | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic City | 38,502 | 9,724 | 1,690 | 8,033 | 7 |
| 2 | Wildwood | 5,105 | 7,717 | 1,077 | 6,640 | 0 |
| 3 | Asbury Park | 15,209 | 4,701 | 1,078 | 3,622 | 3 |
| 4 | Millville | 27,550 | 4,362 | 504 | 3,858 | 1 |
| 5 | Bridgeton | 26,524 | 3,890 | 705 | 3,185 | 1 |
| 6 | Camden | 71,616 | 4,321 | 1,570 | 2,750 | 28 |
| 7 | Woodbury | 10,108 | 3,858 | 356 | 3,502 | 0 |
| 8 | Absecon | 9,153 | 3,627 | 327 | 3,299 | 0 |
| 9 | Vineland | 61,110 | 3,020 | 458 | 2,562 | 7 |
| 10 | Elizabeth | 134,065 | 3,032 | 480 | 2,551 | 2 |
| 11 | New Brunswick | 55,971 | 3,021 | 857 | 2,163 | 4 |
| 12 | Somerdale | 5,531 | 5,803 | 271 | 5,532 | 0 |
| 13 | Linden | 43,652 | 3,317 | 323 | 2,994 | 0 |
| 14 | Pennsauken | 37,198 | 3,731 | 284 | 3,446 | 1 |
| 15 | Passaic | 69,003 | 2,552 | 543 | 2,008 | 2 |
| 16 | Deptford | 32,429 | 4,295 | 237 | 4,058 | 1 |
| 17 | Trenton | 90,313 | 2,934 | 1,062 | 1,871 | 23 |
| 18 | Newark | 304,311 | 2,340 | 519 | 1,820 | 53 |
| 19 | Salem | 5,319 | 3,196 | 1,485 | 1,710 | 3 |
| 20 | Maple Shade | 19,911 | 2,531 | 301 | 2,229 | 3 |
| 21 | Lindenwold | 21,524 | 2,281 | 385 | 1,895 | 2 |
| 22 | Hillside | 22,026 | 3,123 | 240 | 2,882 | 0 |
| 23 | Collingswood | 14,108 | 3,246 | 219 | 3,026 | 0 |
| 24 | Secaucus | 20,519 | 3,158 | 233 | 2,924 | 0 |
| 25 | Irvington | 54,306 | 2,279 | 423 | 1,856 | 11 |
| 26 | Clementon | 5,318 | 2,613 | 263 | 2,350 | 0 |
| 27 | Gloucester City | 11,430 | 2,834 | 236 | 2,598 | 0 |
| 28 | Westampton | 9,099 | 2,648 | 252 | 2,395 | 0 |
| 29 | Harrison | 18,999 | 2,379 | 300 | 2,079 | 0 |
| 30 | Orange City | 33,615 | 2,180 | 365 | 1,814 | 2 |
| 31 | Somers Point | 10,467 | 2,302 | 257 | 2,044 | 1 |
| 32 | Middle | 20,845 | 2,125 | 307 | 1,818 | 1 |
| 33 | Ewing | 37,408 | 2,756 | 203 | 2,552 | 2 |
| 34 | Hackensack | 45,413 | 2,622 | 206 | 2,415 | 0 |
| 35 | Union City | 63,312 | 2,073 | 334 | 1,739 | 1 |
| 36 | Paulsboro | 6,292 | 2,066 | 381 | 1,684 | 1 |
| 37 | Paterson | 144,947 | 2,478 | 988 | 1,490 | 27 |
| 38 | Phillipsburg | 15,374 | 2,016 | 305 | 1,710 | 0 |
| 39 | Pine Hill | 10,427 | 1,908 | 306 | 1,601 | 1 |
| 40 | Cherry Hill | 76,401 | 3,308 | 146 | 3,162 | 1 |
| 41 | Pennsville | 12,651 | 3,161 | 150 | 3,011 | 0 |
| 42 | Ocean City | 11,258 | 6,093 | 124 | 5,969 | 0 |
| 43 | Perth Amboy | 55,229 | 1,792 | 329 | 1,462 | 4 |
| 44 | Haddon | 14,510 | 2,081 | 199 | 1,881 | 1 |
| 45 | Eatontown | 13,607 | 1,984 | 205 | 1,778 | 0 |
| 46 | Palmyra | 7,418 | 2,008 | 202 | 1,806 | 1 |
| 47 | Belleville | 37,348 | 2,050 | 176 | 1,874 | 0 |
| 48 | Plainfield | 55,494 | 1,769 | 452 | 1,317 | 4 |
| 49 | Burlington City | 9,849 | 1,715 | 324 | 1,391 | 1 |
| 50 | Keansburg | 9,757 | 1,701 | 358 | 1,342 | 1 |
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in New Jersey for 2024?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in New Jersey. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in New Jersey, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2022 data, specifically the 2022 Crime In The United States Report for New Jersey.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered New Jersey cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 330 cities in New Jersey.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 330 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in New Jersey — Atlantic City. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in New Jersey and is updated for 2024.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In New Jersey FAQs
No, New Jersey is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #4 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in New Jersey ranks 46th most dangerous in the United States — 47.17% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Garden State ranks 46th most dangerous in the United States — 40.74% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
No, Newark is not a dangerous city. Newark ranks as the #104 safest out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Newark might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, South Ironbound is the safest in Newark, while Springfield-Belmont is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Newark ranks 149th highest in America — 6.08% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 239th highest in the United States — 33.3% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In New Jersey
Summary: Locking It All Up In New Jersey
So what is the most dangerous city in New Jersey? After analyzing 330 cities in New Jersey, Atlantic City takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in New Jersey based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2022.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Atlantic City ranks as the most dangerous city in New Jersey for 2024.
The most dangerous cities in New Jersey are .
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Atlantic City and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.
What is the most dangerous place in New Jersey for 2024? The most dangerous place in New Jersey is Atlantic City.
If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in New Jersey are, look at the list below. Or head to the bottom for a complete list of crime everywhere in New Jersey.
Learn more about the safest places in New Jersey.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.
Here are the safest cities in New Jersey:
- Montgomery (Pop. 23,441)
- Kinnelon (Pop. 9,983)
- Bernards (Pop. 27,682)
- Emerson (Pop. 7,900)
- Rockaway (Pop. 6,589)
- Chesterfield (Pop. 7,557)
- Ringwood (Pop. 11,456)
- Vernon (Pop. 22,623)
- Matawan (Pop. 9,734)
- New Hanover (Pop. 7,859)
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
“Meant as infotainment….”
Bunch of BS to get stupid people who don’t read the fine print worked up.
About as irresponsible as most media these days.
Agree 100%!!
I live in millville south nj oak view apt complex this is night mare for this place me and my family we can’t not live and this condition no more this is terrible.
Statistics aren’t everything. Need to add a few columns on how safe people feel and include younger people whose statistics often don’t show up, how about count ‘bullying’ complaints. For some examples, Cherry Hill isn’t low on violence, they make up for it with dangerous schools when they’re young and with racism in stealthy ways they can get away with if you’re near them – still in Camden County. Tenafly safe? It’s like a police state, police setup roadblocks stopping women with babies and stop everyone entering the city. People and police tell others they don’t belong there and treat outsiders very poorly, don’t put your kids in schools there. Bad place and dangerous to anyone entering. Police and courts do the violence which doesn’t show up on statistics and their reputation is very bad. They segregate every people, kids complain about racial violence in Tenafly school and it comes back from them to everyone else. The local court is considered among the most corrupt in the state.
This also seems heavily moderated unless it takes weeks for comments to post – freedom of speech? Presence of links? Maybe roadsnacks should post how many comments make and don’t make it.
I did not see Camden on here. if Camden is not on here its wrong
Yes Camden is on this list.
Camden!! Half of these cities/towns are nowhere near as dangerous as Camden! Not reporting crimes to the FBI is a crock of chit! We all know how bad it is there!!
Yes Camden is ranked one of the most dangerous cities in the COUNTRY and so is Newark and that was from a much more credible source.
Like most democratic states, NJ in general is the biggest chithole state in the country
Your data, at least in one instance, is skewed. I am not from Wildwood, nor do I visit if vacation alternatives are available, BUT…it is one of the major tourist attractions, drawing visitors from near and far, with many traveling in from PA and many more from CANADA! Your population is absolutely calculated on residents, while the crime rate skyrockets during the tourist season, leaving the percentage of crimes vs. # of residents seriously tilted. It is a ‘nightlife’ destination, and those visiting are often not the most courteous of their vacation choice. You should check the statistics for resident vs. %of crime by those with actual Wildwood adresses.
I am going to anime that #4 is supposed to be Camden City ( not Camden County Police Department) If that is correct, that is a HUGE proofreading error. Someone should be fired for missing that.
This survey and its results are irresponsible. Local news reports these statistics as they are. Your spurious deductions on the data are neither valid nor reliable. Try determining the rate of crime based on the population of a community at a given time. That would be a lot of work but, if its to be reported in a quality of life story, which yours is, then the only answer would be to glean your deductions from extremely rigorous data. Reporting sports with loose correlates is entertainment, but reporting crime trends is a serious matter. You have to get it right to be fair to the residents and businesses of a community.
The Wildwoods hosts over 9 million visitors per year; the total number of permanent residents is only 5,070 in the City of Wildwood.
The NJ crime rankings do not take these millions of visitors into account; it only reviews the crimes committed vs. the number of permanent residents; so the ranking is fundamentally flawed from the start. If you take into account the total visitors versus the number of crimes committed the crime rate is extremely low in Wildwood.
The Wildwoods are the #1 family vacation destination along the New Jersey Shore and always provide a safe and inviting environment for families in town.
Where is Newark?
Wildwood most dangerous place to be? Are you crazy? Tell that to our tourist that visit us every year. Please make sure to do your research better next time. And yes i am a Wildwood NJ resident and a business owner year round. Thank you for the bad publicity.
New Jersey has high crime cities, soaring rent price, a billionaire governor, and strict gun laws. Welcome to the east coast.