Map the Block › Places › New Jersey › Essex County
What are the crime rate and median income in Essex County, New Jersey?
The violent-crime rate in Essex County was 3.1 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 49% higher than the statewide rate (2.1). Median household income is $80,789 and the unemployment rate was 5.7% in August 2026. About 863,002 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Essex County?
Police agencies in Essex County reported an average of 2,658 violent crimes and 13,684 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. That is 3.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 49% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1), and 16% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 15.9 per 1,000 (New Jersey: 13.5; U.S.: 18.1). Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (63%). CDC death records show about 90 homicide deaths a year in the county (11.0 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Essex County | Per 1,000 | New Jersey per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 2,658 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 61 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 198 | 0.23 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 736 | 0.86 | 0.47 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,662 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 13,684 | 15.9 | 13.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 1,230 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 8,259 | 9.6 | 10.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 4,195 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (22 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Essex County?
Median household income is $80,789, 22% lower than the statewide figure ($103,556). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $524,100, and the median rent is $1,531 a month. 14.8% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 24,640 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Essex County | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 863,002 | 9,343,809 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $80,789 | $103,556 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $524,100 | $454,400 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,531 | $1,720 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 8.7% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 14.6% | 9.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 14.8% | 9.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 39.1% | 43.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 44.9% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 37.7 | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 90.4% | 92.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 11.9% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Essex County?
Essex County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 8 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Essex County: Pierson'S Creek, Orange Valley Regional Ground Water Contamination, Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation, Caldwell Trucking Co., Diamond Alkali Co., U.S. Radium Corp., plus 2 more. 2 other sites have finished cleanup and been taken off the list. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 7 high-hazard dams in Essex County. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 7 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Cedar Grove West Res Dam (55 ft) and Cedar Grove North Res Dam (51 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
22 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 405,287 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Essex County was covered by 4 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 2, Severe Storm 2), not counting COVID-19. Of 21 community water systems, 1 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 47 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 23 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Essex County?
Essex County had 16 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include Division St, NJ 21 (Emmet St and US 1&9 Truck Route/Pulaski Skyway. 5 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Essex County?
Essex County has 252 public schools (2024-25) and 64 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 33 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 68 fire or EMS stations and 36 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Thomas Edison National Historical Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Essex County
Gun shops
No gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Essex County. There are 4 licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown).
Liquor stores
162 liquor stores are on the map in Essex County: 21 Plaza Wine & Liquors (Newark), 954 Liquor (Newark), A-1 Payless Liquors (Irvington), Aidil Wines & Liquors (Newark), Al's Liquors (Irvington), All Brothers Liquor #3 (Newark), All Brothers Liquors ll (Irvington), Amanti Vino (Montclair) and 154 more. New Jersey has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
3 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Essex County: Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey-Ironbound (Newark), Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey-Montclair (Montclair) and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey-Newark (Newark).
See them on the map: liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Essex County?
Essex County averaged 2,658 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.1 per 1,000 residents, 49% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1). The property-crime rate was 15.9 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Essex County?
$80,789 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $103,556 for New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Essex County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 24,640 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Essex County?
Essex County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Essex County?
EPA lists 8 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Essex County: Pierson'S Creek, Orange Valley Regional Ground Water Contamination, Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation, Caldwell Trucking Co., Diamond Alkali Co., U.S. Radium Corp., plus 2 more. 2 other sites have finished cleanup and been taken off the list.
Is there road construction in Essex County right now?
Essex County had 16 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include Division St, NJ 21 (Emmet St and US 1&9 Truck Route/Pulaski Skyway. 5 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Essex County?
33 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Essex County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen County | 962,316 | 0.76 | $124,884 |
| Hudson County | 718,323 | 3.2 | $91,795 |
| Morris County | 514,528 | 0.42 | $137,326 |
| Passaic County | 521,012 | 4.2 | $87,522 |
| Union County | 579,290 | 2.2 | $103,202 |
Cities in Essex County with their own page: Newark, Elizabeth, East Orange.
More: New Jersey statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms