City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Perth Amboy, NJ

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

55,278
Residents
$58,490
Median income
$339,200
Median home
$2,205
Median rent (state)

Perth Amboy - the verdict

Perth Amboy ranks in the 33rd percentile for household income and the 38th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

33rd
percentile, household income
70th
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
38th
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: Perth Amboy, NJ

55,278 people live in Perth Amboy, New Jersey - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Perth Amboy households earn a median of $58,490 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 18.1%. Typical homes in Perth Amboy are valued around $339,200, and the median resident age is 36.3 years. Educational attainment runs 15.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in Perth Amboy (Construction Slowdown), down 99% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Perth Amboy reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1760.4 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,205 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Perth Amboy workers runs 23.8 minutes, with 59.1% driving alone and 4.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 95.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

55,278 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$58,490 /yr

Poverty 18.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Perth Amboy compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 33% higher than other cities
Home value 70% pricier than other cities
Median rent 86% pricier than other cities
Safety 38% 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: Perth Amboy ranks #172 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 Perth Amboy'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.

33rdIncome percentile
38thSafety percentile

33rd percentile nationally for median household income · 38th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Perth Amboy's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Perth Amboy'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 31 Avg. percentile National median
Perth Amboy'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 Perth Amboy's home value compares nationally

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

$339,200 30th percentile more affordable than 30% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Perth Amboy $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 - Perth Amboy, NJ Perth Amboy, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Perth Amboy, 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 Perth Amboy, NJ median $58,490/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%
Perth Amboy, 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 Perth Amboy, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 18.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.8%

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

Population
55,278
Median Income
$58,490
Median Home Value
$339,200
Median Age
36.3
Poverty Rate
18.1%
Labor force participation
58.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1760.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
391.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1368.6
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
14
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
55,000 residents55,500 residents56,000 residents56,500 residents57,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 55,360 residents 56,739 residents ▲ +2.5%
Perth Amboy's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 122
2020 13
2021 100
2022 4
2023 240
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 99% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.8 minutes
Drive Alone
59.1%
Carpool
13.7%
Public Transit
3.8%
Walk
7.2%
Work from Home
4.0%
Other
12.2%

Based on 24,494 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 Perth Amboy 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

New Brunswick
55,744 people
Plainfield
54,515 people
Hoboken
58,340 people
West New York
51,683 people
Vineland
60,692 people
Hackensack
45,768 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Perth Amboy's 55,278 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Valdosta, GA
55,222 people
Chicopee, MA
55,213 people
South Whittier, CA
55,201 people
Tigard, OR
55,395 people
West Haven, CT
55,147 people
Smyrna, TN
55,066 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Perth Amboy's $58,490 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lismore, MN
$58,490 median income
St. Francis, WI
$58,490 median income
Lamar, CO
$58,487 median income
Union Point, GA
$58,487 median income
St. Paul, NE
$58,493 median income
Icehouse Canyon, AZ
$58,494 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Perth Amboy, 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 Perth Amboy, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 32.3% 7.7% 39.5% 15.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 80.8% White 32.3% Black or African American 7.7% Asian 1.7% American Indian 3.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 39.5% Two or more races 15.8% 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 Perth Amboy 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
Perth Amboy (this city) 55,278 $58,490
New Brunswick 55,744 $60,248
Plainfield 54,515 $80,334
Hoboken 58,340 $176,943
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Perth Amboy, NJ?

What is the population of Perth Amboy, NJ? +

Perth Amboy, NJ counts 55,278 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Perth Amboy, NJ? +

Perth Amboy households earn a median of $58,490 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Perth Amboy? +

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

Perth Amboy has a total crime rate of 1760.4 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 Perth Amboy, NJ? +

The median home value in Perth Amboy is $339,200, 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 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.