The 25 Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey: 2022's Ultimate List

As a nearly lifelong resident of the Garden State, I know that New Jersey gets a pretty bad rap compared to other states. People say our state smells, that we’re filled to the brim with orange-tanned bozos who fist pump, and we talk funny. Even so, a lot of our poor reputation isn’t deserved, but still, some of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey are also some of the worst in the nation.

Based on FBI statistics, Wildwood, Salem, Penns Grove, Asbury Park, and Egg Harbor City are the most dangerous cities in New Jersey. These cities rank highest per capita consistently in both violent and property crimes, with between 442-198% higher crime occurrences than all of New Jersey. Other areas you should avoid include Millville, Bridgeton, and Woodbury.

Ask most people who live in New Jersey, and they’ll tell you that they love living here. The schools are excellent; the restaurant scene is one of the best in the country, and our nightlife — Fugghetaboutit. But, if you’re thinking about becoming one with your inner Jersey kid, make sure you avoid choosing the wrong cities.

If you thought little towns were charming, you haven’t seen anything like Wildwood on your travels. It has more issues than a city three times its size but has only 5,042 citizens.

To begin with, there’s the crime. You might wonder how many crimes can occur in such a small population. According to FBI data, far more than you might believe. There was a total of 7,437 cases reported for the 2020 calendar year. This includes everything from murder to property theft.

However, property crimes outnumbered violent crimes by far. There were 6,724 property crimes reported and 713 violent crimes per capita. In a population of 5,192, that means that virtually everyone has fallen victim to the crimes, and some more than once.

Although affordability is appealing, the desirability of a community where the average home sells for only $86,000 must be questioned. Salem is one of these places. Spend some time here, and you’ll see why no one is willing to pay a reasonable amount for a home.

To begin with, there isn’t much here. The job market, on the other hand, is about as buoyant as a dead fish. Finally, 41.3 percent of the population is considered impoverished. Fourth, the typical household income is a meager $24,841. We could go on and on, but Salem already has enough difficulties to deal with without adding to them.

There were a total of 5,449 crimes reported in Salem for the 2020 calendar year. These crimes included murder, rape, assault, burglary, auto theft, and other types of property theft.

Violent crimes and property crimes were close in numbers. violent crime was high, at 2,060 instances per capita and property crimes were 3,390. In a population of 4,931, the crime rate is so bad it’s off the scale.

Penns Grove is a troubled town. Its crime rate is 73.14 percent greater than the national average in the United States. Almost a third of the country’s population lives in poverty. Its schools are among the state’s most poorly founded and performing.

Unemployment is at an all-time high of 18 percent. The median salary, on the other hand, is a meager $34,500. It’s down on its luck, depressed, and in dire need of some good news.

There were a total of 5,338 crimes reported in Penns Grove for the 2020 calendar year. These crimes included everything from murder and rape, to property theft.

There were 4,215 property crimes, and 1,123 violent crimes reported during this time. Within a population of 4,985, that means that your chances of becoming a victim are 1 in 19 on average but in some neighborhoods as high as 1 in 5.

Though it is quickly becoming one of the more gentrified tourist hotspots in the state, Asbury Park remains one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey. The city first started to see its problems arise due to both urban blight and “white flight” in the 1960s.

Today, Asbury Park still has a serious gang issue, with nightly shootings and hard drug addiction being the main contributors to its rough reputation. Despite the high crime rates, this city has seen a slowdown in violent crime.

With a population of 15,850, Asbury Park had 4,651 reported crimes total for the 2020 calendar year. This includes murder, rape, assault, property theft, and auto theft.

There were more violent crimes than property crimes around its time. Violent crimes made up 1,226 of the total, while property crimes were recorded as 3,424 per capita.

Do you want to live in a tiny, friendly, and attractive town in New Jersey? Then don’t hitch your wagon to Egg Harbor City, no matter what you do. It may check the box for ‘small,’ but forget about anything else.

According to FBI statistics, there were a total of 4,242 reported crimes in the 2020 calendar year. These crimes included everything from murder to property theft.

However, property crimes surpassed the number of violent crimes. There were a total of 372 violent crimes reported, and 3,80 property crimes per capita. For a population of 4,243, those are very high numbers.

Yet another South Jersey town to enter this list is Millville, a small city that is typically overlooked by tourists. At first glance, it’s a nondescript area. However, it happens to be one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey.

Millville’s property crime and violent crime are generally high across the board. However, there’s no one particular crime that is too unusually high–minus the theft, of course.

In Millville, there have been a total of 4,037 crimes reported in 2020. Murder and rape were among the crimes committed, as were burglary and property theft.

During this time, there were more property crimes than violent crimes. Property crimes accounted for 3,403 incidents, while violent crimes accounted for 634. This was out of a total population of 28,399 people.

With a population of 25,209, it’s hard to really call Bridgeton a proper city. However, this small town still remains fairly dangerous and resides fairly close to a handful of other names on this list.

Bridgeton’s crime rate is one of the few to see a serious uptick in recent years. Despite New Jersey being a safer than normal state, it seems like this town is bent on trying to be an exception to the rule. It has a crime index of 6, making it safer than just 6% of other US cities.

In 2020, there have been a total of 4,040 crimes reported in Bridgeton. Murder and rape, as well as burglary and property theft, were among the crimes committed.

During this time, property crimes outnumbered violent crimes. There were 3,067 property offenses and 975 violent crimes reported per capita.

Yet another small but tragic town in South Jersey, Woodbury has an idyllic suburban appearance with a fairly terrible crime rate. This town might look nice and even have high property values, but crime has been steadily on the rise. Albeit the property crime rates are much higher than a relatively low violent crime rate.

Even before COVID-19 struck, the unemployment rate in Woodbury has been on the rise. It’s fairly concerning, considering that crime has a serious correlation with low wages and unemployment.

In Woodbury, there were a total of 3,756 crimes reported in 2020. Murder and rape were among the crimes, as were burglary and property theft.

There were more property crimes than violent crimes that occurred. Of the total number of crime reports, there were 3,366 property crimes and 390 violent crimes reported per capita. This is pretty extreme considering the population is 10,024.

According to FBI statistics, there were a total of 3,762 crimes reported in Camden. These crimes consisted of murder, rape, assault, car theft, burglary, and other property theft.

The number of property crimes was higher than the number of violent crimes. There were 2,159 property offenses and 1,603 violent crimes reported per capita.

We actually spoke to someone in the Camden County Police Department, who assured us they accurately keep track of crime rates and figures. This is because they are required under the federal Uniform Crime Reporting standards to keep and report accurate statistics.

All of these statistics are sent to the New Jersey State Police and are available to the public through the NJSP website. The police department in Camden is quite vigilant, and according to their Public Information Officer, we were told via e-mail that they patrol every street and block in Camden.

Is Camden a lost cause? Definitely not. The city is working hard to try to keep law and order and protect the residents of the city.

Yes, we all might want to “DO AC” in the summer, but don’t be fooled by the glitzy hotels. This South Jersey city is famous for its high crime rate and gang activity. Rumors of gangs from almost every corner of organized crime can be heard when discussing this town.

Oddly enough, the most dangerous casino in the area used to be the Trump Taj Mahal prior to it being torn down. What stands out about Atlantic City’s crime statistics is its unusually high murder rate.

Overall, there have been a total of 3,521 crimes in 2020 in Atlantic City. These crimes included both violent and property crimes alike.

There were more property crimes than violent crimes in 2020. A total of 2,698 property crimes were reported, while there were only 823 violent crimes. However, in a population of 39,306, this is a very high crime rate.

One might surmise that the increase in crime in Atlantic City could have something to do with the shutdowns of many of the top casinos in the area. However, that’s only one of many social factors facing this area.

Trenton is the state capital of New Jersey, but that doesn’t mean it’s a safe place to live. Though the town has been somewhat successful in reducing the gang activity inside it, Trenton remains a town where both locals and visitors feel unsafe. The crime rate in Trenton is fairly high, with violent crime being twice as high as the national average.

The big issue here, like with most other parts of America, is theft. However, in recent years, vehicle theft and assault have become major problems that gripped Trenton.

There have been a total of 3,259 crimes reported in Trenton for the 2020 calendar year. These crimes included everything from murder and rape, or burglary and property theft.

There were more property crimes than violent crimes during this time. The number of property crimes was 2,090, while violent crimes weren’t much better at 1,169. This was among a population of 84,559.

In Neptune, your chances of becoming a victim of crime can range from 1 in 46 in northeast neighborhoods to 1 in 111 in southwest neighborhoods. But, Neptune Township isn’t nearly as bad as some other cities in New Jersey.

According to FBI statistics, the were a total of 3,127 reported crimes for the 2020 calendar year in the Neptune Township. These crimes included both violent and property crimes alike. There were 2,712 reported property crimes per capita, and 415 violent crimes reported.

First and foremost, Lindenwold does not have New Jersey’s highest crime rate. Its schools are likewise significantly superior to those found in many smaller cities. And with that, the good news comes to an end.

The unemployment rate in this 17,320-person city is a staggering 7%. The median annual salary is depressingly low, at $45,789, while the average housing price is a pitiful $124,200. Overall, Lindenwold is a city in serious need of revitalization.

There have been a total of 3,051 reported crimes for Lindenwold in the 2020 calendar year. These crimes include everything from murder and rape to property theft.

However, there were more property-based incidents than violent ones. According to FBI statistics, there were 634 violent crimes, and 2,318 property crimes reported per capita.

Linden does poorly on practically every metric. There is a lot of crime (your chance of getting robbed is a in 1 in 34.4). The 7.2 percent unemployment rate is among the highest in the state, and the average housing price is among the lowest.

There were a total of 2,935 crimes reported for the 2020 calendar year in Linden. These crimes included everything from murder and rape to property theft.

There were far more occurrences of property crime than violent crimes. Property crimes totaled 2,601 while violent crimes were reported as 334 per capita.

Located right off the Turnpike on Exit 13A is Elizabeth, currently one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey. Once a manufacturing city, Elizabeth quickly saw its downfall during the early 1960s. Gang activity is high here, with many different sets of the Bloods, Crips, MS-13, and Latin Kings being visible in the area.

Like many of the other bad towns in New Jersey, Elizabeth suffers from high assault rates as well as high theft rates. Vandalism and vehicle theft, however, are the major standouts here.

There were a total of 3,671 reported crimes in 2020. These crimes included instances of murder, assault, burglary, rape, auto theft, and other property crimes.

Overall, property crime was more common as there were 2,897 cases reported. When it came to violent crime, there were 774 instances reported per capita.

When most people think of worse places to live, they tend to think of Northern New Jersey. Vineland is an exception to the rule. It has all the bad sides of a dying Main Street combined with the problems of inner-city living.

Vineland’s problems are manifold, and sadly, this town doesn’t look like it’s going to be able to deal with it well for the time being. A high theft and burglary rate means that your homes aren’t going to be safe. Plus, the terrible school systems suggest that getting into college might be a struggle.

According to FBI statistics, Vineland had a total of 2,473 reported crimes for the 2020 calendar year. These crimes included everything from murder to far theft.

Property crimes were more common during this time, as there were 2,090 incidents per 100,000 people. As far as violent crimes, there were 383 reported here, which is still concerning among a population of 60,876.

Though Newark has been getting a massive increase in rent and gentrification, it’s still not a good place to live. Difficulties finding decent schooling, hard times getting a hold of police, plus rampant homelessness make this a rough city.

Gang activity in Newark is legendary, and it’s pretty fair to say that it’s not going away anytime soon. Newark’s police force has been seeing reductions in recent years, and rumors of police corruption haven’t helped things get any better.

According to FBI statistics, there were a total of 6,059 reported crimes in 2020 for Newark. These crimes included both violent and property crimes alike.

There were about three times as many property crime incidents as violent in 2020. For every 100,000 people, there were 1,492 violent crimes and 4,567 property crimes.

There are worse locations to live in than Long Branch, but finding them will be difficult. After all, how many places can compete with a near-eight percent unemployment rate? Or a median income that is among New Jersey’s lowest? Or a robbery rate of 1 in 48.8 and an attack, assault, rape, or murder rate of 1 in 279? Thankfully, there aren’t many.

In 2020, there were a total of 1,909 reported crimes for Long Branch. These crimes included both violent and property-based instances alike.

However, there were nearly just a little over 1,000 more property crimes than violent ones. Property crimes had 1,456 reported instances, while violent crimes only had 453. Don’t get us wrong, even one occurrence of violent crime is too much. But for a population of 50,578, these statistics aren’t horrible.

Jersey City isn’t perfect, but it’s better than other cities. One of its most heinous crimes is the work-life balance it provides for its citizens. It has the third poorest work/life balance in the country.

Most residents commute to work for about 40 minutes, leaving them little time to enjoy the fruits of their labor…although, given the low median income of $62,739, this may not be as awful as it appears.

While the crime rate is relatively low, it’s still existent and a bit high when it comes to property crimes. In total, there were 5,107 crimes reported for 2020.

Out of the total, there were 3,940 instances of property crime, and 1,167 violent crimes. The tally for violent crimes is still pretty high regardless of a population of 261,666.

Don’t move to Woodbine if you fancy the concept of a well-paid career. Woodbine’s job market isn’t exactly booming, with an unemployment rate of 7.9% and a typical income of just $36,667… which may or may not explain why almost 27% of the population lives in poverty.

There were a total of 1,354 reported crimes in 2020. Of this total, there were 195 violent crimes and 1,158 property crimes per capita. These crimes included murder, assault, rape, burglary, property theft, and auto theft.

Plainfield has a population of 50,578. It’s a sleeper suburb of New York and a regional hub for Central New Jersey. There are several recreational possibilities, as well as stores, nightclubs, and bars. It also has a few libraries, galleries, and cultural attractions. The good news, however, comes to an end there.

Plainfield isn’t the kind of location many people would want to spend their day, let alone their life, with an unemployment rate of 7.9%, a median income that barely makes them out of poverty, and a crime rate that ranks among the worst in the state.

According to FBI statistics, Plainfield had a total of 1,909 reported crimes for the 2020 calendar year. These crimes included everything from murder to property theft.

However, there were far more property crimes than violent crimes during this time. Property crimes totaled 1,456 while violent crimes were reported as 453 per capita.

When it comes to crime, Buena is actually doing quite well. In fact, it’s doing quite well for itself, with a crime rate that’s nearly 32% lower than the national average, according to figures. So, why is it on our list?

According to FBI statistics, there were a total of 965 crimes reported for Buena. These included both violent and property crimes alike. For a population of 4,534, that’s still quite a bit of crime which is why it’s on our list.

However, property crimes occurred more than violent crimes in 2020. There were a total of 47 violent crimes reported, and 918 property comes per capita.

Laurel Lake… doesn’t it seem like a place you’d love to live? Buy a house by the lakeside, enjoy it year-round with the family. While that sounds amazing, it’s not the case.

With one of the lowest median property values in the state, a depressingly high poverty and unemployment rate this isn’t the kind of place many of us would prefer to live.

There were a total of 1,354 reported crimes for the 2020 calendar year in Laurel Lake. These included murder, assault, rape, burglary, and property theft.

Property crimes towered in at 1,158 reported cases, and violent crimes totaled 195 per capita. In a population of 3,391, that’s still a pretty high crime rate.

Seabrook Farms is one of New Jersey’s worst little communities. It’s not difficult to understand how they arrived at this conclusion. For starters, most households have a median income of $35,083, which is extremely low. Poverty hit this little town hard.

According to FBI statistics, there have been a total of 731 reported crimes. These include both property and violent crimes alike.

Property crimes outnumbered violent crimes in the 2020 calendar year. There were a total of 105 violent crimes per capita and 626 property crimes reported per capita.

Despite having a reputation for being crime-ridden, the state of New Jersey has a lower crime rate than the national average as a whole. An active police force in almost every town, as well as education, bent on crime prevention, helps keep things safe.

Currently, New Jersey has the sixth-lowest property crime rate and the eighth-lowest violent crime rate in the United States. This places the Garden State far below the national average for crime, and that’s only going to get better considering how low crime rates have been dropping across the board. That’s a great look if you ask me.

If you are looking for a state that offers a decent level of safety, it’s safe to say that New Jersey might be the place for you. Even if you choose to live in a dangerous neighborhood, it’s possible to stay safe by using the proper precautions.