City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Penns Grove, NJ

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

4,860
Residents
$43,889
Median income
$170,100
Median home
$1,810
Median rent (state)

Penns Grove - the verdict

Penns Grove ranks in the 12th percentile for household income and the 29th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

12th
percentile, household income
34th
percentile, home value
74th
percentile, median rent
29th
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: Penns Grove, NJ

4,860 people live in Penns Grove, New Jersey - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $43,889 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 31.0%. Home values in Penns Grove run a median of $170,100, and the median resident age is 26.1 years. About 14.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 42.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 1 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), up 0% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2114.1 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).

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 $1,810 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts New Jersey's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 76.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

4,860 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$43,889 /yr

Poverty 31.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Penns Grove compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 12% higher than other cities
Home value 34% pricier than other cities
Median rent 74% pricier than other cities
Safety 29% 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, Penns Grove ranks #194 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 Penns Grove'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.

12thIncome percentile
29thSafety percentile

12th percentile nationally for median household income · 29th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Penns Grove's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Penns Grove'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 29 Avg. percentile National median
Penns Grove'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 Penns Grove's home value compares nationally

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

$170,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 66% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $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. Penns Grove $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 - Penns Grove, NJ Penns Grove, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Penns Grove, 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 Penns Grove, NJ median $43,889/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%
Penns Grove, 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 Penns Grove, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 31.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 42.6%

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

Population
4,860
Median Income
$43,889
Median Home Value
$170,100
Median Age
26.1
Poverty Rate
31.0%
Labor force participation
42.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2114.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
574.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1539.4
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
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
4,800 residents4,850 residents4,900 residents4,950 residents 202020212022202320242025 4,839 residents 4,934 residents ▲ +2.0%
Penns Grove's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 2
2021 1
2022 0
2023 1
2024 1

Permit volume increased 0% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
86.4%
Carpool
3.1%
Public Transit
1.8%
Walk
2.2%
Work from Home
1.2%
Other
5.3%

Based on 1,298 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 Penns Grove sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,810/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
76.5 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

Spring Lake Heights
4,866 people
Harrington Park
4,883 people
Flemington
4,887 people
South Bound Brook
4,833 people
Golden Triangle
4,893 people
Point Pleasant Beach
4,826 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Penns Grove's 4,860 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Flora, IL
4,860 people
Carthage, MS
4,859 people
Albertson, NY
4,859 people
James, NC
4,859 people
Annville, PA
4,859 people
Chatsworth, GA
4,857 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Penns Grove's $43,889 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Crofton, KY
$43,889 median income
Ontario, OR
$43,887 median income
Louisville, AL
$43,886 median income
Oakwood, IL
$43,894 median income
Clay, KY
$43,884 median income
Calypso, NC
$43,906 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Penns Grove, 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 Penns Grove, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 41.3% 38.8% 11.7% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 31.3% White 41.3% Black or African American 38.8% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 1.6% Some other race 11.7% Two or more races 6.3% 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 Penns Grove 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
Penns Grove (this city) 4,860 $43,889
Spring Lake Heights 4,866 $102,829
Harrington Park 4,883 $180,515
Flemington 4,887 $74,213
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Penns Grove, NJ?

What is the population of Penns Grove, NJ? +

The population of Penns Grove, NJ stands at 4,860 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Penns Grove, NJ? +

In Penns Grove, the typical household earns $43,889 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Penns Grove? +

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

Penns Grove has a total crime rate of 2114.1 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 Penns Grove, NJ? +

A typical home in Penns Grove is worth $170,100, 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.