New Jersey’s Safest Cities of 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

In our State of Safety survey, New Jersey residents told us they're very worried about crime and overall safety. They were more likely to report having personally experienced a crime this year, so it makes sense that they'd feel more concerned in response. 

Interestingly, New Jerseyans reported the lowest use of firearms in the nation. However, they're more likely to experience gun violence than the average American, and they report the third-highest level of concern about gun violence nationwide.  

We didn't have enough viable data to accurately calculate statewide crime rates this year, but our annual State of Safety survey offers a look at crime trends across The Garden State from a more personal perspective.

This year, 47% of New Jerseyans say they feel safe in their state, which is a slight increase from 46% the year before but still under the national average of 48%.

This increased confidence level is somewhat surprising considering New Jersey residents told us they experienced more crime year over year and feel highly concerned about it on a daily basis. Paradoxically, New Jerseyans are among those most likely to believe crime is decreasing overall (NJ 18%, US 15%). 

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Survey respondents from New Jersey reported year over year increases in property crime and package theft experiences. Concern about these crimes rose simultaneously, and New Jerseyans reported some of the highest levels of concern in these categories nationwide. 

• 21% of New Jersey residents said they personally experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 19% the previous year (US 27%). 
• Residents from only six states are less likely to experience property crime than New Jerseyans: Georgia (20%), Wisconsin (20%), South Dakota (20%), Rhode Island (19%), North Carolina (17%), and Massachusetts (16%). 
• Concern about property crime rose from 46% to 64% year over year (US 54%).
• New Jerseyans report the sixth highest level of concern about property crime nationwide. 
• The percentage of New Jersey residents who reported a personal experience with package theft in the 8 months prior to our survey rose from 31% to 44%, which is the fourth highest percentage in the nation.
• Concern about package theft increased from 53% to 59% year over year. It's the least worrisome crime for New Jerseyans, but they have the seventh highest rate of package theft concern nationwide. 
• New Jersey residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (45%), security systems (43%), and guard dogs (25%).

• 52% of New Jerseyans said they're highly concerned about hurricanes, making them twice as worried as the average American (US 26%).
• New Jersey residents are also twice as likely to worry about earthquakes as the average American (NJ 36%, US 18%). 
• 52% said they're concerned about flooding, which is the fourth-highest percentage in the nation. Only residents of Louisiana, Vermont, and Florida worry more. 
• Drought is the least concerning natural disaster among New Jersey residents (NJ 29%, US 32%). 
• 6% said they evacuated due to a natural disaster in the 8 months prior to our survey.

New Jerseyans reported a 67% increase in violent crime experiences year over year, and their violent crime concerns rose by 33%. 

• 15% of New Jersey residents said they personally experienced a violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 9% the year before (US 14%).
• The percentage of New Jerseyans who worry about violent crime on a daily basis increased from 48% to 64% year over year (US 59%).
• 26% of survey participants report using some form of personal protection—the fifth lowest percentage in the nation (US 35%).
• New Jersey residents prefer to protect themselves with pepper spray (14%), pocket knives (9%), stun guns (5%), and self defense keychains (5%). 

• The percentage of New Jerseyans who told us they personally experienced a violent crime in the 8 months before our survey rose from 9% to 15% year over year (US 14%).
• Concern about gun violence rose from 52% to 69% year over year (US 57%).
• New Jerseyans reported the third highest level of concern about gun violence. Only residents in Texas (73%) and Maryland (74%) worry more.
• Mass shooting incidents in New Jersey decreased from 12 incidents in 2023 to 3 in 2024. 
• New Jerseyans tie with Connecticutters as those least likely to use firearms for property protection (NJ 9%, US 29%).
• New Jerseyans tie with Californians as those least likely to use firearms for personal protection (NJ 2%, US 15%).

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 128 cities met the criteria for ranking this year.
• Vernon Township is the safest city in New Jersey for the second year in a row. 
• Bernards Township held on to the #2 spot for the second year in a row. 
• 2 cities reported zero violent crimes: Bernards Township and Denville Township. 
• Vernon Township, Sparta Township, Jefferson Township, Madison, Denville Township, and Harrison Township reported zero murders, rapes, and robberies. 
• Sparta Township and West Milford Township reported zero motor vehicle thefts.
• 13 of the 20 safest cities saw a year-over-year decline in property crime.
• Violent crime rates decreased in just 4 cities: Sparta Township, Hopatcong, Mount Olive Township, and Harrison Township.

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