City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

East Orange, NJ

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for East Orange - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

69,183
Residents
$59,872
Median income
$315,500
Median home
$2,205
Median rent (state)

East Orange - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, East Orange places in the 35th percentile for household income and the 23rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

35th
percentile, household income
67th
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
23rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: East Orange, NJ

69,183 people live in East Orange, New Jersey - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. East Orange households earn a median of $59,872 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.8%. Typical homes in East Orange are valued around $315,500, and the median resident age is 37.0 years. About 22.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 134 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 72% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2438.9 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

New Jersey carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts New Jersey at 108.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,205 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for East Orange workers runs 32.6 minutes, with 56.6% driving alone and 8.1% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

69,183 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$59,872 /yr

Poverty 13.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does East Orange compare to other US cities?

East Orange measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 35% higher than other cities
Home value 67% pricier than other cities
Median rent 86% pricier than other cities
Safety 23% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at New Jersey, East Orange ranks #203 of 238 New Jersey cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below East Orange's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New Jersey, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

35thIncome percentile
23rdSafety percentile

35th percentile nationally for median household income · 23rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

East Orange's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

East Orange's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 27 Avg. percentile National median
East Orange's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How East Orange's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$315,500 33rd percentile more affordable than 33% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. East Orange $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - East Orange, NJ East Orange, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not East Orange, NJ-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution East Orange, NJ median $59,872/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
East Orange, NJ's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for East Orange, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 22.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 13.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
69,183
Median Income
$59,872
Median Home Value
$315,500
Median Age
37.0
Poverty Rate
13.8%
Labor force participation
59.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2438.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
486.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1952.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
68,000 residents69,000 residents70,000 residents71,000 residents72,000 residents73,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 69,428 residents 72,159 residents ▲ +3.9%
East Orange's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
134
housing units authorized
Single-Family
10
detached homes
Multifamily
124
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 484
2020 252
2021 246
2022 207
2023 555
2024 134

Permit volume decreased 72% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
32.6 minutes
Drive Alone
56.6%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
20.0%
Walk
4.0%
Work from Home
8.1%
Other
5.7%

Based on 31,736 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New Jersey - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New Jersey state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New Jersey state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county East Orange sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,205/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

Passaic
69,651 people
Lakewood
69,884 people
Bayonne
70,468 people
Camden
71,471 people
Union City
66,375 people
Vineland
60,692 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to East Orange's 69,183 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Gaithersburg, MD
69,225 people
Eau Claire, WI
69,274 people
San Marcos, TX
68,920 people
Yuba City, CA
69,545 people
Gary, IN
68,604 people
Walnut Creek, CA
69,790 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to East Orange's $59,872 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Tennyson, WI
$59,872 median income
New Plymouth, ID
$59,875 median income
Grandview, WA
$59,875 median income
Mountain, CO
$59,881 median income
Toledo, IL
$59,881 median income
Westmoreland, KS
$59,881 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - East Orange, NJ Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition East Orange, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.3% 6.1% 7.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.9% White 3.4% Black or African American 80.3% Asian 2.4% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 6.1% Two or more races 7.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How East Orange compares to nearby New Jersey cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
East Orange (this city) 69,183 $59,872
Passaic 69,651 $56,780
Lakewood 69,884 $57,576
Bayonne 70,468 $81,285
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about East Orange, NJ?

What is the population of East Orange, NJ? +

East Orange, NJ counts 69,183 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in East Orange, NJ? +

Median annual household income in East Orange runs $59,872, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in East Orange? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for East Orange; the closest available measure is the New Jersey state average, a cost of living index of 108.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Jersey vary by metro area.

Is East Orange, NJ safe? +

East Orange has a total crime rate of 2438.9 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in East Orange, NJ? +

East Orange's median home value sits at $315,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.