City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Elmwood Park, NJ

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

21,287
Residents
$100,852
Median income
$456,000
Median home
$2,324
Median rent (state)

Elmwood Park - the verdict

Elmwood Park ranks in the 78th percentile for household income and the 23rd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

78th
percentile, household income
82nd
percentile, home value
89th
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: Elmwood Park, NJ

21,287 people live in Elmwood Park, New Jersey - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $100,852 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.6%. Typical homes in Elmwood Park are valued around $456,000, and the median resident age is 39.9 years. Educational attainment runs 35.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 62.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2467.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than 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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,324 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Jersey run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 25.1 minutes, with 71.7% driving alone and 7.8% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 97.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

21,287 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$100,852 /yr

Poverty 7.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Elmwood Park compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 78% higher than other cities
Home value 82% pricier than other cities
Median rent 89% 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.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to New Jersey alone, Elmwood Park ranks #204 of 238 New Jersey cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

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 Elmwood Park'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.

78thIncome percentile
23rdSafety percentile

78th percentile nationally for median household income · 23rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Elmwood Park's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Elmwood Park'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 39 Avg. percentile National median
Elmwood Park'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 Elmwood Park's home value compares nationally

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

$456,000 18th percentile more affordable than 18% 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%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Elmwood Park $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 - Elmwood Park, NJ Elmwood Park, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Elmwood Park, 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 Elmwood Park, NJ median $100,852/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%
Elmwood Park, 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 Elmwood Park, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.2%

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

Population
21,287
Median Income
$100,852
Median Home Value
$456,000
Median Age
39.9
Poverty Rate
7.6%
Labor force participation
62.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2467.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
221.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2246.1
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
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
21,200 residents21,300 residents21,400 residents21,500 residents21,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 21,349 residents 21,534 residents ▲ +0.9%
Elmwood Park's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 32
2020 36
2021 213
2022 137
2023 81
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
25.1 minutes
Drive Alone
71.7%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
7.1%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
7.8%
Other
3.1%

Based on 10,537 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 Elmwood Park sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,324/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

Secaucus
21,437 people
Lindenwold
21,534 people
Parsippany
21,869 people
Pleasantville
20,604 people
Hillsborough
22,302 people
Morristown
20,256 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Elmwood Park's 21,287 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Mustang, OK
21,290 people
Battle Ground, WA
21,293 people
Geneva, IL
21,299 people
Mukilteo, WA
21,312 people
Mesquite, NV
21,314 people
Candler-McAfee, GA
21,316 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Elmwood Park's $100,852 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Old Fig Garden, CA
$100,833 median income
Woolsey, GA
$100,833 median income
Herscher, IL
$100,833 median income
Lansing, KS
$100,871 median income
Lincoln Park, PA
$100,875 median income
Long Lake, IL
$100,824 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Elmwood Park, 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 Elmwood Park, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 57.6% 9.9% 9.7% 13.1% 9.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 29.7% White 57.6% Black or African American 9.9% Asian 9.7% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 13.1% Two or more races 9.5% 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 Elmwood Park 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
Elmwood Park (this city) 21,287 $100,852
Secaucus 21,437 $134,746
Lindenwold 21,534 $55,099
Parsippany 21,869 $102,152
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Elmwood Park, NJ?

What is the population of Elmwood Park, NJ? +

The population of Elmwood Park, NJ stands at 21,287 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Elmwood Park, NJ? +

In Elmwood Park, the typical household earns $100,852 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Elmwood Park? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Elmwood Park; 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 Elmwood Park, NJ safe? +

Elmwood Park has a total crime rate of 2467.5 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 Elmwood Park, NJ? +

Homes in Elmwood Park carry a median value of $456,000, 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.