City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Wood-Ridge, NJ

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

10,094
Residents
$131,412
Median income
$532,900
Median home
$2,324
Median rent (state)

Wood-Ridge - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Wood-Ridge places in the 91st percentile for household income and the 81st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

91st
percentile, household income
86th
percentile, home value
89th
percentile, median rent
81st
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: Wood-Ridge, NJ

Wood-Ridge is a small town in New Jersey, home to 10,094 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Wood-Ridge brings in $131,412 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.5%. Wood-Ridge's housing stock carries a median value of $532,900, and the median resident age is 39.7 years. 53.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 69.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 84 residential building permits were authorized in Wood-Ridge (Building Boom), up 50% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Wood-Ridge reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 602.9 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: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New Jersey scores 108.8 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,324 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

10,094 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$131,412 /yr

Poverty 6.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Wood-Ridge compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 91% higher than other cities
Home value 86% pricier than other cities
Median rent 89% pricier than other cities
Safety 81% 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: Wood-Ridge ranks #66 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 Wood-Ridge 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

Poverty Rate sits close to the middle of New Jersey's city distribution

Among the 680 New Jersey cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Wood-Ridge ranks #178 - the 74th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Wood-Ridge only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#183 of 659
72nd percentile in New Jersey
Median Gross Rent
#221 of 686
57th percentile in New Jersey
Median Home Value
#192 of 672
71st percentile in New Jersey
Poverty Rate
#178 of 680
74th percentile in New Jersey
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#230 of 686
66th 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.

91stIncome percentile
81stSafety percentile

91st percentile nationally for median household income · 81st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Wood-Ridge's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Wood-Ridge'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 62 Avg. percentile National median
Wood-Ridge'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 Wood-Ridge's home value compares nationally

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

$532,900 14th percentile more affordable than 14% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Wood-Ridge $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 - Wood-Ridge, NJ Wood-Ridge, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wood-Ridge, 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 Wood-Ridge, NJ median $131,412/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%
Wood-Ridge, 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 Wood-Ridge, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 53.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 69.4%

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

Population
10,094
Median Income
$131,412
Median Home Value
$532,900
Median Age
39.7
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Labor force participation
69.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
53.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
602.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
28.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
574.2
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
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,000 residents10,100 residents10,200 residents10,300 residents10,400 residents 202020212022202320242025 10,111 residents 10,341 residents ▲ +2.3%
Wood-Ridge's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
84
housing units authorized
Single-Family
84
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 56
2020 97
2021 167
2022 116
2023 69
2024 84

Permit volume increased 50% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
65.1%
Carpool
1.1%
Public Transit
17.0%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
12.9%
Other
2.0%

Based on 5,786 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 Wood-Ridge sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,324/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

Waldwick
10,090 people
Hillsdale
10,086 people
Budd Lake
10,106 people
Hackettstown
10,143 people
Brookdale
10,044 people
Maywood
10,042 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wood-Ridge's 10,094 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Kendallville, IN
10,094 people
Bardmoor, FL
10,095 people
Spring Valley Lake, CA
10,098 people
Hull, MA
10,098 people
Independence, OR
10,088 people
Corte Madera, CA
10,101 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wood-Ridge's $131,412 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Savannah, TX
$131,397 median income
Madison, AL
$131,436 median income
Lake Forest, CA
$131,378 median income
Thornport, OH
$131,458 median income
Cumings, TX
$131,459 median income
Nocatee, FL
$131,488 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wood-Ridge, 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 Wood-Ridge, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 58.0% 21.6% 7.9% 7.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.8% White 58.0% Black or African American 4.5% Asian 21.6% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 7.9% Two or more races 7.6% 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 Wood-Ridge 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
Wood-Ridge (this city) 10,094 $131,412
Waldwick 10,090 $155,526
Hillsdale 10,086 $169,862
Budd Lake 10,106 $113,036
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wood-Ridge, NJ?

What is the population of Wood-Ridge, NJ? +

Wood-Ridge, NJ has a population of 10,094 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Wood-Ridge, NJ? +

The median household income in Wood-Ridge is $131,412 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wood-Ridge? +

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

Wood-Ridge has a total crime rate of 602.9 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 Wood-Ridge, NJ? +

Wood-Ridge's median home value sits at $532,900, 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.