The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Jersey For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town New Jersey. However, as the New Jerseyan who live there know, small town New Jersey is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, New Jersey has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Garden State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 195 of New Jersey’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in New Jersey where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in New Jersey for 2024:

1. Seabrook Farms
2. Egg Harbor City
3. Port Norris
4. Penns Grove
5. Whitesboro
6. Oxford
7. Woodbine
8. Voorhees
9. Woodlynne
10. Chesilhurst

So what is the worst small town to call home in New Jersey for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Seabrook Farms is the worst small town to live in New Jersey.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Seabrook Farms home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in New Jersey or the worst places to live in New Jersey.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Jersey For 2024

1. Seabrook Farms

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,447
Median Home Value: $243,228
Median Income: $43,869
Unemployment Rate: 21.7%

2. Egg Harbor City

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,376
Median Home Value: $294,091
Median Income: $51,675
Unemployment Rate: 10.0%

3. Port Norris

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,711
Median Home Value: $155,583
Median Income: $44,091
Unemployment Rate: 6.9%

4. Penns Grove

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,841
Median Home Value: $153,536
Median Income: $29,821
Unemployment Rate: 15.5%

5. Whitesboro

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,497
Median Home Value: $263,117
Median Income: $62,273
Unemployment Rate: 9.6%

6. Oxford

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,249
Median Home Value: $217,905
Median Income: $60,833
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%

7. Woodbine

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,264
Median Home Value: $287,734
Median Income: $41,167
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

8. Voorhees

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,798
Median Home Value: $432,352
Median Income: $63,052
Unemployment Rate: 10.4%

9. Woodlynne

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,904
Median Home Value: $159,972
Median Income: $68,125
Unemployment Rate: 10.4%

10. Chesilhurst

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,384
Median Home Value: $275,005
Median Income: $85,104
Unemployment Rate: 6.4%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in New Jersey is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in New Jersey, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 195 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in New Jersey.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In New Jersey

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Garden State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in New Jersey are Seabrook Farms, Egg Harbor City, Port Norris, Penns Grove, Whitesboro, Oxford, Woodbine, Voorhees, Woodlynne, and Chesilhurst.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in New Jersey, according to science:

1. Spring Lake (Pop. 2,788)
2. Plainsboro Center (Pop. 2,766)
3. Ho-Ho-Kus (Pop. 4,234)

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In New Jersey

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Seabrook Farms	1,447	21.7%	$243,228	$43,869
2	Egg Harbor City	4,376	10.0%	$294,091	$51,675
3	Port Norris	1,711	6.9%	$155,583	$44,091
4	Penns Grove	4,841	15.5%	$153,536	$29,821
5	Whitesboro	2,497	9.6%	$263,117	$62,273
6	Oxford	1,249	8.2%	$217,905	$60,833
7	Woodbine	2,264	6.7%	$287,734	$41,167
8	Voorhees	1,798	10.4%	$432,352	$63,052
9	Woodlynne	2,904	10.4%	$159,972	$68,125
10	Chesilhurst	1,384	6.4%	$275,005	$85,104
11	Holiday Heights	2,049	8.2%	$375,405	$57,412
12	Rosenhayn	1,508	6.8%	$257,311	$59,654
13	Lawnside	3,059	11.8%	$251,645	$74,250
14	Victory Gardens	1,761	8.2%	$305,384	$55,000
15	Leisure Village East	4,653	17.2%	$260,770	$45,395
16	Victory Lakes	1,322	10.6%	$257,558	$94,821
17	Presidential Lakes Estates	2,460	12.6%	$275,717	$84,423
18	Cedar Glen Lakes	1,461	7.6%	$106,111	$38,171
19	Audubon Park	1,031	10.1%	$125,505	$51,387
20	Rio Grande	3,364	20.4%	$372,878	$88,033
21	Pine Ridge At Crestwood	2,674	9.9%	$143,664	$56,750
22	East Newark	2,718	8.2%	$388,622	$63,594
23	Laurel Lake	2,346	6.8%	$162,440	$52,321
24	Buena	4,504	7.9%	$290,770	$85,916
25	Westville	4,276	6.3%	$234,508	$63,000
26	Brooklawn	1,894	7.6%	$209,363	$58,288
27	Franklin	4,933	7.1%	$323,041	$87,558
28	Lakehurst	2,653	4.7%	$326,373	$78,525
29	South Toms River	3,662	8.1%	$332,668	$96,688
30	National Park	3,028	7.2%	$236,131	$83,125
31	Beverly	2,502	7.7%	$235,527	$90,069
32	Blackwood	4,588	6.6%	$328,826	$82,741
33	Folsom	1,761	7.9%	$290,911	$112,989
34	Leisuretowne	3,211	8.1%	$275,517	$57,901
35	Seaside Heights	2,027	5.7%	$647,437	$51,364
36	Gibbsboro	2,278	8.7%	$335,657	$93,103
37	Belvidere	2,532	8.5%	$338,939	$95,861
38	Alpha	2,223	3.6%	$291,899	$78,500
39	New Egypt	1,552	6.8%	$499,129	$70,060
40	Groveville	3,335	11.9%	$419,505	$117,617
41	Cedar Glen West	1,990	4.8%	$85,235	$50,365
42	Holiday City South	4,412	2.9%	$289,922	$54,875
43	Ogdensburg	2,215	12.6%	$366,353	$107,569
44	Tuckerton	3,582	8.7%	$369,970	$80,957
45	Pemberton	1,338	5.8%	$367,005	$85,701
46	Leisure Village West	3,817	6.5%	$225,811	$54,167
47	Hampton	1,064	4.7%	$506,342	$74,833
48	Manahawkin	2,197	7.1%	$517,541	$82,870
49	Sussex	1,918	4.2%	$398,268	$65,481
50	High Bridge	3,564	6.0%	$375,186	$106,111
51	Golden Triangle	4,960	4.3%	$344,028	$103,664
52	Rossmoor	2,772	9.9%	$189,123	$46,917
53	Brass Castle	1,471	11.5%	$416,663	$92,563
54	Upper Pohatcong	1,773	4.1%	$281,399	$95,893
55	South Bound Brook	4,838	7.3%	$402,074	$92,625
56	Mount Ephraim	4,638	8.2%	$262,465	$81,800
57	Concordia	2,710	11.3%	$338,469	$52,114
58	Silver Ridge	1,063	0.0%	$256,075	$33,625
59	North Cape May	3,832	4.9%	$349,093	$71,389
60	Swedesboro	2,706	3.8%	$421,540	$92,218
61	Merchantville	3,800	2.5%	$294,441	$72,375
62	Silver Lake Cdp (Essex County)	4,407	3.2%	$545,628	$80,365
63	Oak Valley	4,346	3.8%	$256,817	$86,875
64	Leisure Knoll	2,622	4.4%	$300,422	$52,279
65	Vernon Center	1,493	1.8%	$179,982	$69,519
66	Wood	3,680	3.5%	$287,328	$86,528
67	Florence	4,815	6.0%	$277,094	$95,096
68	Collings Lakes	2,111	5.2%	$247,305	$84,265
69	Wildwood Crest	3,104	14.6%	$630,863	$64,363
70	Roebling	4,146	3.5%	$250,483	$89,917
71	Erma	1,844	11.6%	$384,299	$92,226
72	Milford	1,244	7.3%	$449,877	$89,196
73	Kingston	1,289	9.0%	$464,469	$73,571
74	Gibbstown	3,471	3.5%	$287,936	$89,688
75	Crandon Lakes	1,141	5.7%	$296,470	$102,083
76	Flemington	4,864	3.8%	$565,190	$85,306
77	Point Pleasant Beach	4,786	8.5%	$910,673	$119,647
78	Barnegat	3,284	4.8%	$445,666	$98,621
79	Englis	2,129	8.3%	$517,587	$101,750
80	Elmer	1,268	4.1%	$313,707	$91,116
81	Waretown	2,257	9.1%	$491,628	$101,500
82	Magnolia	4,342	7.5%	$277,835	$74,295
83	Glen Gardner	1,610	4.1%	$478,459	$79,000
84	Belford	1,935	9.0%	$525,712	$131,875
85	Sewaren	2,695	5.6%	$434,658	$107,887
86	Highlands	4,646	6.3%	$496,673	$86,901
87	Moonachie	3,093	3.5%	$558,903	$90,263
88	Seaside Park	1,799	5.8%	$729,930	$80,658
89	Netcong	3,484	2.1%	$396,630	$83,125
90	Cape May	2,815	4.7%	$631,537	$69,896
91	Annandale	1,853	12.0%	$603,316	$121,806
92	Lake Como	1,710	7.5%	$703,547	$82,500
93	Neptune City	4,619	6.8%	$454,463	$82,009
94	Olivet	1,535	6.8%	$334,022	$118,058
95	Princeton Junction	2,022	7.8%	$897,990	$209,554
96	Ocean Grove	3,129	7.2%	$953,274	$72,500
97	Newfield	1,830	1.8%	$283,981	$103,438
98	Dover Beaches North	1,696	7.8%	$860,257	$53,276
99	Helmetta	2,302	6.4%	$369,218	$104,500
100	Country Lake Estates	4,179	2.9%	$265,464	$114,914