Fort Lee, NJ
Census place 3424420 · pop 40,067
A cradle of the early American film industry and the eastern end of the George Washington Bridge, later infamous for the 2013 'Bridgegate' lane closures.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,564/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
35 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.06% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
10 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$448,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1105 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
22.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
131 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
40 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
7.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+7.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$107,274 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
65.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
7.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
21.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
11.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Frequently asked
- Is Fort Lee, NJ a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Fort Lee scores 52/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is poor mental health and its weakest is rent. New Jersey overall ranks #43 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Fort Lee, NJ?
- Fort Lee reports 131 violent crimes per 100k and 1105 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Fort Lee, NJ expensive to live in?
- Fort Lee has a median home value of $448,000 and typical rent around $3,564/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Fort Lee, NJ?
- Its weakest measured area is rent ($3,564/mo) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Fort Lee, NJ best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (11.6%) — 98/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: A cradle of the early American film industry and the eastern end of the George Washington Bridge, later infamous for the 2013 'Bridgegate' lane closures.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.