Independence ranks #14 in New Jersey for safety
Independence is ranked on 35 lists against the 468 New Jersey towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 1.
Fewer kids than 97% of New Jersey
Not better or worse, just Independence’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Independence out-ranks 2 of its 4 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Independence lands in the top half on 12 of 21 lists
Each dot is Independence’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in NJ, the right end is last. Areas where Independence does best come first.
4 spots from the top 10 for safety
Lists where Independence sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
The lists Independence does best on
Each list ranks every NJ town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Independence marked.
Where Independence lands in every NJ ranking
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Safety
Safest#1 Emerson · 1.5
#14 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Salem · 0.8 yrs
#162
Cheapest rent#1 Alloway · $749/mo
#140
Lowest property tax#1 Camden · $2,302/yr
#143
Rent easiest to afford#1 Matawan · 29.4%
Health
Healthiest#1 Millburn · 100 / 100
#228
Lowest obesity#1 West Windsor · 17%
#284
Fewest smokers#1 West Windsor · 5%
#231
Most active#1 Fair Haven · 13%
#213
Fewest uninsured#1 Spring Lake · 4%
#176
Lowest depression#1 Palisades Park · 11%
#357
Closest to a top hospital#1 Englewood · 0.0 mi
#125 People
Most educated#1 Millburn · 90%
#189
Youngest#1 Lakewood · 18.1
#436
Oldest#1 North Wildwood · 65.6
#33
Most residents 65+#1 North Wildwood · 51.5%
#94
Most kids#1 Lakewood · 49.8%
#453 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Montague · 68.2%
#154
Most trails#1 Cedar Grove · 6.4 mi / sq mi
#263
Most walkable#1 Union City · 295 / sq mi
#432 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Long Beach · 81.3%
#406
Most new homes#1 Long Beach · 41.2 per 1,000
#361
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Margate City · +136.0%
#247
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Union · 49.9 per home
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 New Hanover · 13.2 min
#429 
The number on the right is Independence’s spot. All of New Jersey’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every NJ list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.