City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

West New York, NJ

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

51,683
Residents
$67,139
Median income
$410,200
Median home
$2,132
Median rent

Data Snapshot: West New York, NJ

West New York is a city in New Jersey with a population of 51,683 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $67,139 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 15.8%. Typical homes in West New York are valued around $410,200, and the median resident age is 37.3 years. About 33.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1,094 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 610% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1759.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, New Jersey registers 108.8 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,132 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $275 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in West New York report an average commute of 30.8 minutes, with 28.2% driving alone and 13.2% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 90.8 out of 100 (Very High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

51,683 residents

Census ACS 2023 — New Jersey

Median Household Income

$67,139 /yr

Poverty 15.8%

Cost of Living Index

108.8 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does West New York compare to other US cities?

Where West New York sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 46% higher than other cities
Home value 78% pricier than other cities
Median rent 94% pricier than other cities
Safety 38% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare West New York against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — West New York, NJ Quintile shares of aggregate household income for West New York, NJ. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution West New York, NJ — median $67,139/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for West New York, NJ — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.5%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 15.8%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.8%

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

Population
51,683
Median Income
$67,139
Median Home Value
$410,200
Median Age
37.3
Poverty Rate
15.8%
Labor force participation
64.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1759.6
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
296.5
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1463.1
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
1,094
housing units authorized
Single-Family
662
detached homes
Multifamily
432
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
21.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 154
2020 409
2021 639
2022 470
2023 926
2024 1,094

Permit volume increased 610% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
30.8 minutes
Drive Alone
28.2%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
39.5%
Walk
9.0%
Work from Home
13.2%
Other
2.3%

Based on 27,010 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

New Jersey state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,132/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — West New York, 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 West New York, NJ — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How West New York compares to nearby New Jersey cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (West New York) plus the nearest peer cities in New Jersey, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NJ

West New York

67.14% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$67,139
Brackets
52
Selected

NJ

Plainfield

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,450
Brackets
55
Selected

NJ

Perth Amboy

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,530
Brackets
55
Selected

NJ

New Brunswick

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,570
Brackets
56
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about West New York, NJ?

What is the population of West New York, NJ? +

West New York, NJ has a population of 51,683 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in West New York, NJ? +

The median household income in West New York is $67,139 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in West New York? +

West New York has a cost of living index of 108.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is West New York, NJ safe? +

West New York has a total crime rate of 1759.6 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in West New York, NJ? +

The median home value in West New York is $410,200, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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