How Wayne compares across New Jersey
Wayne is ranked on 39 lists against the 468 New Jersey towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 5.
The lists Wayne does best on
Each list ranks every NJ town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Wayne marked.
Wayne lands in the top half on 19 of 26 lists
Each dot is Wayne’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in NJ, the right end is last. Areas where Wayne does best come first.
Wetter than 84% of New Jersey
Not better or worse, just Wayne’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Wayne out-ranks 6 of its 7 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.
Where Wayne 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.
Health
Healthiest#1 Millburn · 100 / 100
#127
Lowest obesity#1 West Windsor · 17%
#76
Fewest smokers#1 West Windsor · 5%
#71
Most active#1 Fair Haven · 13%
#143
Fewest uninsured#1 Spring Lake · 4%
#176
Lowest depression#1 Palisades Park · 11%
#188
Closest to a top hospital#1 Englewood · 0.0 mi
#122 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Montague · 68.2%
#183
Most trails#1 Cedar Grove · 6.4 mi / sq mi
#72
Most walkable#1 Union City · 295 / sq mi
#257 
People
Most educated#1 Millburn · 90%
#146
Youngest#1 Lakewood · 18.1
#182
Oldest#1 North Wildwood · 65.6
#281
Most residents 65+#1 North Wildwood · 51.5%
#172
Most kids#1 Lakewood · 49.8%
#165 Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 Princeton · 22.4 per resident
#93
Most library borrowing#1 Ocean City · 31.3 per resident
#92
Best libraries for kids#1 Ocean City · 44.2 per child
#76 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 New Hanover · 13.2 min
#175 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Salem · 0.8 yrs
#354
Cheapest rent#1 Alloway · $749/mo
#358
Lowest property tax#1 Camden · $2,302/yr
#258
Rent easiest to afford#1 Matawan · 29.4%
#62 
Safety
Safest#1 Emerson · 1.5
#228 
The number on the right is Wayne’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.