City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Harrison, NJ

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

19,599
Residents
$82,290
Median income
$450,800
Median home
$2,763
Median rent (state)

Harrison - the verdict

Nationally, Harrison sits in the 64th percentile for household income and the 32nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

64th
percentile, household income
81st
percentile, home value
96th
percentile, median rent
32nd
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: Harrison, NJ

Harrison is a small town in New Jersey, home to 19,599 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $82,290 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.7%. Home values in Harrison run a median of $450,800, and the median resident age is 33.8 years. About 49.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 68.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 97 residential building permits were authorized in Harrison (Construction Slowdown), down 92% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 1987.1 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). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 54.8°F with 50.4 inches of precipitation per year and 28.2 inches of snowfall.

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,763 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Jersey run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 30.0 minutes, with 30.5% driving alone and 18.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 97.2 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

19,599 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$82,290 /yr

Poverty 8.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Harrison compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 64% higher than other cities
Home value 81% pricier than other cities
Median rent 96% pricier than other cities
Safety 32% safer than other cities

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

Zoom in to just New Jersey and the picture shifts: Harrison ranks #182 of 238 New Jersey cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile 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 Harrison'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.

64thIncome percentile
32ndSafety percentile

64th percentile nationally for median household income · 32nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Harrison's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Harrison'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 36 Avg. percentile National median
Harrison'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 Harrison's home value compares nationally

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

$450,800 19th percentile more affordable than 19% 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. Harrison $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 - Harrison, NJ Harrison, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Harrison, 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 Harrison, NJ median $82,290/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%
Harrison, 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 Harrison, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 49.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.2%

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

Population
19,599
Median Income
$82,290
Median Home Value
$450,800
Median Age
33.8
Poverty Rate
8.7%
Labor force participation
68.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1987.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
234.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1752.8
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.8°F
Annual Precipitation
50.4"
Annual Snowfall
28.2"

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 →
19,000 residents20,000 residents21,000 residents22,000 residents23,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 19,483 residents 22,105 residents ▲ +13.5%
Harrison's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
97
housing units authorized
Single-Family
22
detached homes
Multifamily
75
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1,289
2020 1,089
2021 502
2022 222
2023 88
2024 97

Permit volume decreased 92% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
30.0 minutes
Drive Alone
30.5%
Carpool
7.6%
Public Transit
29.6%
Walk
8.7%
Work from Home
18.6%
Other
5.0%

Based on 11,153 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 Harrison sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,763/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

Hawthorne
19,472 people
Tinton Falls
19,252 people
Point Pleasant
19,158 people
Iselin
19,151 people
Woodbridge
20,086 people
Palisades Park
20,192 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Harrison's 19,599 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Angleton, TX
19,597 people
Salmon Creek, WA
19,594 people
Mead Valley, CA
19,588 people
Forest Park, GA
19,619 people
Sartell, MN
19,620 people
Springboro, OH
19,577 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Harrison's $82,290 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Tuttletown, CA
$82,292 median income
De Witt, NE
$82,292 median income
Hallsboro, NC
$82,292 median income
Downingtown, PA
$82,292 median income
Scipio, UT
$82,292 median income
Jourdanton, TX
$82,302 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Harrison, 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 Harrison, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 31.9% 6.8% 22.4% 22.2% 15.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 43.5% White 31.9% Black or African American 6.8% Asian 22.4% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 22.2% Two or more races 15.7% 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 Harrison 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
Harrison (this city) 19,599 $82,290
Hawthorne 19,472 $118,093
Tinton Falls 19,252 $113,844
Point Pleasant 19,158 $108,713
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Harrison, NJ?

What is the population of Harrison, NJ? +

19,599 people live in Harrison, NJ according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Harrison runs $82,290, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Harrison? +

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

Harrison has a total crime rate of 1987.1 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 Harrison, NJ? +

Homes in Harrison carry a median value of $450,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Harrison? +

Harrison has an average annual temperature of 54.8°F, 50.4 inches of precipitation, and 28.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.