City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Fort Lee, NJ

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

39,818
Residents
$105,535
Median income
$422,200
Median home
$2,324
Median rent (state)

Fort Lee - the verdict

Fort Lee ranks in the 81st percentile for household income and the 55th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

81st
percentile, household income
79th
percentile, home value
89th
percentile, median rent
55th
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: Fort Lee, NJ

39,818 people live in Fort Lee, New Jersey - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Fort Lee brings in $105,535 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.0%. Home values in Fort Lee run a median of $422,200, and the median resident age is 47.2 years. 64.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 33 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 82% from five years earlier. Fort Lee reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1231.3 in FBI UCR data, below 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: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New Jersey scores 108.8 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,324 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Fort Lee workers runs 27.9 minutes, with 47.0% driving alone and 19.6% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 97.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

39,818 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$105,535 /yr

Poverty 6.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Fort Lee compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 81% higher than other cities
Home value 79% pricier than other cities
Median rent 89% pricier than other cities
Safety 55% 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, Fort Lee ranks #141 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

Each percentile compares Fort Lee against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New Jersey only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

New Jersey-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Fort Lee toward the top of New Jersey's cities

Among the 686 New Jersey cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Fort Lee ranks #124 - the 82nd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fort Lee only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#328 of 659
50th percentile in New Jersey
Median Gross Rent
#221 of 686
57th percentile in New Jersey
Median Home Value
#299 of 672
56th percentile in New Jersey
Poverty Rate
#193 of 680
70th percentile in New Jersey
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#124 of 686
82nd percentile in New Jersey

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New Jersey only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

81stIncome percentile
55thSafety percentile

81st percentile nationally for median household income · 55th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Fort Lee's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Fort Lee'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 51 Avg. percentile National median
Fort Lee'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 Fort Lee's home value compares nationally

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

$422,200 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. Fort Lee $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 - Fort Lee, NJ Fort Lee, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fort Lee, 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 Fort Lee, NJ median $105,535/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%
Fort Lee, 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 Fort Lee, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 64.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.1%

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

Population
39,818
Median Income
$105,535
Median Home Value
$422,200
Median Age
47.2
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Labor force participation
60.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
64.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1231.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
131.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1100.3
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
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
39,600 residents39,800 residents40,000 residents40,200 residents40,400 residents40,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 40,048 residents 40,345 residents ▲ +0.7%
Fort Lee's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
33
housing units authorized
Single-Family
33
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 186
2020 109
2021 178
2022 128
2023 52
2024 33

Permit volume decreased 82% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
27.9 minutes
Drive Alone
47.0%
Carpool
7.4%
Public Transit
20.7%
Walk
3.8%
Work from Home
19.6%
Other
1.5%

Based on 19,808 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 Fort Lee 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

Kearny
40,570 people
Atlantic City
38,486 people
Linden
43,614 people
Fair Lawn
35,153 people
Sicklerville
44,500 people
Sayreville
45,237 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Lee's 39,818 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

DeLand, FL
39,832 people
Hutchinson, KS
39,837 people
Waipahu, HI
39,871 people
Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), HI
39,762 people
Duncanville, TX
39,879 people
Hobbs, NM
39,887 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Lee's $105,535 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Penn Farms, PA
$105,536 median income
Southwood Acres, CT
$105,529 median income
West Charlotte, VT
$105,547 median income
Crandall, TX
$105,556 median income
Hampton Manor, NY
$105,504 median income
Pacific Grove, CA
$105,568 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fort Lee, 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 Fort Lee, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 40.5% 44.1% 9.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 12.4% White 40.5% Black or African American 2.8% Asian 44.1% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 3.3% Two or more races 9.1% 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 Fort Lee 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
Fort Lee (this city) 39,818 $105,535
Kearny 40,570 $83,212
Atlantic City 38,486 $36,220
Linden 43,614 $91,036
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fort Lee, NJ?

What is the population of Fort Lee, NJ? +

The population of Fort Lee, NJ stands at 39,818 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fort Lee, NJ? +

Fort Lee households earn a median of $105,535 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fort Lee? +

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

Fort Lee has a total crime rate of 1231.3 per 100,000 residents, which is below 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 Fort Lee, NJ? +

A typical home in Fort Lee is worth $422,200, 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

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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.