These 10 New Jersey Towns Ranked As Safest In The State

NEW JERSEY — Small towns are a haven for New Jerseyians worried about crime, with most of the 10 communities named the state's safest cities in 2021 having populations of less than 20,000, according to crime statistics analyzed by SafeWise.

The communities that made the top 10 list are a mix of those in central New Jersey and some in northern parts of the state.

SafeWise, a security product review platform, ranked more than 50 cities in 2021 using recent crime statistics and data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. SafeWise also included demographic information and the results of its State of Safety research study.

"Compared to last year, New Jerseyites were 1.3 times more likely to worry about their safety on a daily basis. This jump in levels of concern puts New Jersey above the national average for the first time in two years. Survey participants also reported a twofold increase in personal experiences with violent crime while experiences with gun violence were 1.8 times more common," according to SafeWise.

The rankings are intended to highlight cities with low crime rates and to inspire municipalities to talk about how they can make cities safer, according to the SafeWise website.

Here Are The 10 Safest Cities In New Jersey:

1. River Vale Township
2. Sparta Township
3. Chatham Township
4. Kinnelon
5. New Providence
6. Warren Township
7. Clinton Township
8. Bernards Township
9. Monroe Township, Middlesex County
10. Wanaque

See if your city made the full list.

River Vale once again claimed the top spot as the safest city in New Jersey. While Sparta jumped up 7 spots to claim second. Wanaque made the most impressive jump up 66 spots to claim 10th place. Monroe Township also is new to the top 10 list.

While the overall crime rate in New Jersey stayed at 2.1 incidents per 1,000 people, there were 162 fewer violent crimes. The state also saw fewer property crimes with the property crime rate dropping from 14.0 per 1,000 people to 13.4, according to the SafeWise website.

New Jersey's crime rates are also lower than the national average. Among all 50 states, New Jersey had the fifth-lowest rate for both violent crime and property crime, according to the SafeWise website.

When New Jersey residents were asked about what crimes they worry may happen to them, the majority pointed to property crime at 54 percent followed by violent crime of 51 percent. Package theft at 49 percent and gun violence at 47 percent.

Just over half of New Jersey residents feel safe in their home state, which is close to how most Americans feel. With people in New Jersey also more likely than the nation's average to say the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their personal safety.

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