City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Rutherford, NJ

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

18,748
Residents
$136,069
Median income
$580,800
Median home
$2,763
Median rent (state)

Rutherford - the verdict

Rutherford ranks in the 92nd percentile for household income and the 70th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

92nd
percentile, household income
88th
percentile, home value
96th
percentile, median rent
70th
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: Rutherford, NJ

New Jersey's Rutherford is a small town, with 18,748 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Rutherford brings in $136,069 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.8%. Typical homes in Rutherford are valued around $580,800, and the median resident age is 40.7 years. Educational attainment runs 58.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 68 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1033% from five years earlier. Rutherford reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 860.7 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects 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 $2,763 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New Jersey run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

18,748 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$136,069 /yr

Poverty 4.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Rutherford compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 92% higher than other cities
Home value 88% pricier than other cities
Median rent 96% pricier than other cities
Safety 70% 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: Rutherford ranks #102 of 238 New Jersey cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Rutherford 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

Median Gross Rent is Rutherford's strongest outlier among New Jersey cities

Among the 686 New Jersey cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Rutherford ranks #1 - the 97th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Rutherford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#167 of 659
75th percentile in New Jersey
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 686
97th percentile in New Jersey
Median Home Value
#161 of 672
76th percentile in New Jersey
Poverty Rate
#243 of 680
64th percentile in New Jersey
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#171 of 686
75th 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.

92ndIncome percentile
70thSafety percentile

92nd percentile nationally for median household income · 70th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Rutherford's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Rutherford'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 57 Avg. percentile National median
Rutherford'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 Rutherford's home value compares nationally

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

$580,800 12th percentile more affordable than 12% 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%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Rutherford $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 - Rutherford, NJ Rutherford, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Rutherford, 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 Rutherford, NJ median $136,069/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%
Rutherford, 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 Rutherford, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 58.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.7%

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

Population
18,748
Median Income
$136,069
Median Home Value
$580,800
Median Age
40.7
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Labor force participation
65.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
58.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
860.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
57.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
803.7
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
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 →
18,600 residents18,800 residents19,000 residents19,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 18,787 residents 19,132 residents ▲ +1.8%
Rutherford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
68
housing units authorized
Single-Family
12
detached homes
Multifamily
56
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 6
2020 7
2021 76
2022 59
2023 46
2024 68

Permit volume increased 1033% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
55.2%
Carpool
2.5%
Public Transit
17.9%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
20.2%
Other
2.9%

Based on 10,182 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 Rutherford 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

Ocean Acres
18,689 people
Preakness
18,538 people
Dover
18,420 people
Iselin
19,151 people
Point Pleasant
19,158 people
Colonia
18,294 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Rutherford's 18,748 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Elizabeth City, NC
18,740 people
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
18,756 people
Thomasville, GA
18,720 people
Clive, IA
18,776 people
Marshfield, WI
18,718 people
Ottawa, IL
18,714 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Rutherford's $136,069 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Mission Viejo, CA
$136,071 median income
Cape St. Claire, MD
$136,064 median income
Big Bend, WI
$136,042 median income
Peach Lake, NY
$136,136 median income
Pelican Marsh, FL
$136,141 median income
Greenwich, CT
$136,154 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Rutherford, 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 Rutherford, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 65.0% 14.8% 14.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 21.6% White 65.0% Black or African American 3.3% Asian 14.8% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 2.5% Two or more races 14.2% 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 Rutherford 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
Rutherford (this city) 18,748 $136,069
Ocean Acres 18,689 $117,739
Preakness 18,538 $133,168
Dover 18,420 $70,519
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Rutherford, NJ?

What is the population of Rutherford, NJ? +

18,748 people live in Rutherford, NJ according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Rutherford households earn a median of $136,069 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Rutherford? +

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

Rutherford has a total crime rate of 860.7 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 Rutherford, NJ? +

Rutherford's median home value sits at $580,800, 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.