Ridgewood, NJ
Census place 3463000 · pop 26,308
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$4,404/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 $214,900 · worse than most cities
$891,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
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 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.12% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
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 +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
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 964/100k · better than most cities
584 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
45 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
82.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
4.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
97.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
22.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
12.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$208,211 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
80.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Frequently asked
- Is Ridgewood, NJ a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Ridgewood scores 61/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher 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 Ridgewood, NJ?
- Ridgewood reports 45 violent crimes per 100k and 584 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Ridgewood, NJ expensive to live in?
- Ridgewood has a median home value of $891,200 and typical rent around $4,404/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Ridgewood, NJ?
- Its weakest measured area is rent ($4,404/mo) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Ridgewood, NJ best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (80.1%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.