City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Fords, NJ

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

13,052
Residents
$116,250
Median income
$414,100
Median home
$2,205
Median rent (state)

Fords - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Fords lands in the 86th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

86th
percentile, household income
79th
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Fords, NJ

New Jersey's Fords is a small town, with 13,052 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Fords households earn a median of $116,250 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.4%. Fords's housing stock carries a median value of $414,100, and the median resident age is 39.5 years. 38.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 4 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

New Jersey carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 108.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,205 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Fords workers runs 26.5 minutes, with 73.9% driving alone and 11.3% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 95.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

13,052 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$116,250 /yr

Poverty 2.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Fords compare to other US cities?

Here's how Fords stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 86% higher than other cities
Home value 79% pricier than other cities
Median rent 86% pricier than other cities

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

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 Fords'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.

86thIncome percentile

86th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Fords's home value compares nationally

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

$414,100 21st percentile more affordable than 21% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Fords $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 - Fords, NJ Fords, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fords, 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 Fords, NJ median $116,250/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%
Fords, 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 Fords, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.6%

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

Population
13,052
Median Income
$116,250
Median Home Value
$414,100
Median Age
39.5
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Labor force participation
63.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.8%

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
26.5 minutes
Drive Alone
73.9%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
3.3%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
11.3%
Other
1.2%

Based on 6,715 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 Fords 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
95.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

Florham Park
13,134 people
Somerville
12,958 people
Ridgefield Park
13,167 people
Holiday City-Berkeley
12,896 people
Red Bank
12,864 people
Woodland Park
13,284 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fords's 13,052 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Claremont, NH
13,054 people
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
13,047 people
La Grande, OR
13,059 people
Linganore, MD
13,044 people
Stoughton, WI
13,063 people
Mango, FL
13,037 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fords's $116,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Puako, HI
$116,250 median income
Sugar Grove, IL
$116,250 median income
Cimarron City, OK
$116,250 median income
Round Hill, VA
$116,250 median income
Millis-Clicquot, MA
$116,324 median income
Lone Jack, MO
$116,328 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fords, 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 Fords, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 49.7% 11.4% 19.0% 8.7% 9.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 22.9% White 49.7% Black or African American 11.4% Asian 19.0% American Indian 1.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 8.7% Two or more races 9.8% 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 Fords 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
Fords (this city) 13,052 $116,250
Florham Park 13,134 $147,714
Somerville 12,958 $103,869
Ridgefield Park 13,167 $98,184
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fords, NJ?

What is the population of Fords, NJ? +

Fords, NJ has a population of 13,052 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fords, NJ? +

In Fords, the typical household earns $116,250 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fords? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fords; 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.

What is the median home value in Fords, NJ? +

A typical home in Fords is worth $414,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, 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.