If you are thinking about visiting Jersey City and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Jersey City really is.
Is Jersey City, New Jersey Safe To Visit?
Statistically speaking, Jersey City is safe place to visit. In 2020, Jersey City had a violent crime rate of 399.04 per 100,000 people. It’s violent crime rate is roughly equal to the national average and it’s property crime rate of 1,347.24 per 100,000 people is significantly less than the national average.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Jersey City’s violent crime rate:
Jersey City, NJ Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared to 2019:
|
2019 |
2020 |
Percent Change |
Homicide |
13 |
17 |
31% |
Rape |
81 |
59 |
-27% |
Robbery |
431 |
340 |
-21% |
Aggravated Assault |
868 |
751 |
-13% |
Burglary |
890 |
500 |
-44% |
Larceny/Theft |
3,514 |
3,004 |
-15% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
670 |
436 |
-35% |
Arson |
18 |
9 |
-50% |
TOTALS |
6,485 |
5,116 |
-21% |
**All data is from the FBI UCR**
Jersey City, NJ Crime Rates
Jersey City’s Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Jersey City reported 1,167 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 399.04 per 100,000 people.
- Jersey City’s violent crime rate is twice the state average.
- Year over year violent crime has decreased by 16%.
- It’s violent crime rate is on par with cities like El Paso, San Jose and Austin.
- Violent crime is at it’s lowest level in 30 years.
Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Jersey City over a 30 year period.
*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Jersey City’s Murder Rate
In 2020, Jersey City reported 17 homicides and had a homicide rate of 5.81 per 100,000 people.
- Jersey City’s homicide rate is roughly 11% less than the national average and 1.57x greater than the state average.
- Year over year murder has increased by 31%.
- Jersey City has a similar homicide rate to cities like Santa Ana, Long Beach and Colorado Springs
Here’s a map showing you how homicides has trended in Jersey City over a 30 year period.
Jersey City’s Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Jersey City reported 3,940 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 1,347.24 per 100,000 people.
- The national average for property crime is 1958.2 per 100,000 residents. Jersey City’s property crime rate is 31% less than the national average.
- Jersey City’s property crime rate is roughly 16% greater than the state average.
- Year over year property crime in Jersey City has decreased by 29%.
- Jersey City property crime rate is similar to Irvine, Santa Clara and Gilbert.
- Property crime is at its lowest level in 30 years.
Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Jersey City over a 30 year period.
*Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson and property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Jersey City vs Other Cities In New Jersey
Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the 11 most populous cities in New Jersey. Jersey City’s violent crime rate ranked 6th among all cities
City |
Population |
Violent Crimes 2019 |
Violent Crime Rate 2019 |
Camden | 74,002 | 1,159 | 1566.17 |
83,412 |
937 |
1,123.34 |
|
281,054 |
2,520 |
896.62 |
|
Paterson |
145,710 |
1,219 |
836.59 |
Elizabeth |
128,333 |
926 |
721.56 |
Jersey City |
261,940 |
1,393 |
531.80 |
Hamilton township |
87,065 |
122 |
140.13 |
Clifton |
85,204 |
95 |
111.50 |
Woodbridge |
100,145 |
111 |
110.84 |
Edison |
100,477 |
84 |
83.60 |
Toms River |
91,785 |
72 |
78.44 |
Jersey City, New Jersey vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States
Here’s a list of the top 19 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Jersey City’s violent crime rate is 6x less than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
City |
Number of violent crimes in 2020 |
Violent Crime Rate 2020 |
15,310 |
2,418.24 |
|
14,370 |
2,248.44 |
|
6,017 |
1,995.17 |
|
3,657 |
1,805.11 |
|
South Bend |
1,765 |
1,706.09 |
6,294 |
1,689.10 |
|
Camden | 1,172 | 1,632.52 |
9,407 |
1,629.70 |
|
3,166 |
1,577.22 |
|
7,919 |
1,558.58 |
|
Lansing |
1,699 |
1,508.29 |
Springfield |
2,545 |
1,504.35 |
8,552 |
1,404.20 |
|
3,033 |
1,365.59 |
|
5,215 |
1,358.08 |
|
7,552 |
1,337.68 |
|
5,653 |
1,282.89 |
|
4,023 |
1,254.04 |
Areas to avoid in Jersey City
Here’s a map showing you where crime is most prevalent in Jersey City.
- Greenville section (Ocean Ave)
- West Side (MLK).
- Bergen Lafayette
Safest areas of Jersey City
- Downtown
- Exchange Place
- Newport
- Grove Street
- Waterfront
- Paulus Hook
- Eastside of The Heights
Is Downtown Jersey City, New Jersey Safe?
Downtown Jersey City is generally a safe area to visit day and night. Its one of the safest parts of the city and has a good police presence.
Is the public transportation in Jersey City safe?
The public transportation system in Jersey City is handled by PATH and it offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city and into Manhattan. However, we do not recommend that you take PATH late at night. There’s a lot less people around and it can get sketchy down there. Get a taxi or an Lyft instead.
Download the PATH app to know the exact times of the trains.
What do residents of Jersey City say about it’s safety?
- "In general Jersey City is safe. Like any big city it has good areas and bad areas."
- "Jersey City is pretty safe. The police department does a good job of making sure our residents and streets are safe."
- "The “bad” section of town would be the Greenville area."
Is Jersey City safe at night?
Jersey City is safe at night. You can mitigate your chances of being a victim of crime if you avoid the sketchy neighborhoods mentioned above and follow the safety tips below.
Tips to stay safe while visiting Jersey City, New Jersey
- The more people are around, the less of a target you are. Stay away from desolate areas and don’t walk through alleys at night.
- Never stop walking. If someone says “hey”, just keep walking. As soon as you stop, you are giving someone the opportunity to solicit your for something or scam you.
- If a stranger comes up to you and is a little too nice for no reason, find a way to get out of there.
- Don’t stand too close to edge of the subway platform. People are getting pushed into the tracks by crazy people.
- Always wait a second before crossing an intersecton. There’s always that one dummy who had to “make that light” and will inevitably run a red light.
- Always keep situational awareness. Don’t wear headphones or bury yourself in your phone while walking.
- Don’t assume people will stop at stop signs for you.
- Don’t be a walking advertisement. Leave that expensive watch or purse at home.
- Plan out your routes ahead of time and know where you are going and how to get back.
- If someone is following you, step into a shop, restaurant or bodega. People will usually leave you alone if you go into a store.
Quick Facts About Jersey City, New Jersey
|
Jersey City, New Jersey |
United States |
Population, Census, April 1, 2020 |
292,449 |
331,449,281 |
Population, Census, April 1, 2010 |
247,597 |
308,745,538 |
Persons under 5 years, percent |
7.7% |
6.0% |
Persons under 18 years, percent |
20.6% |
22.3% |
Persons 65 years and over, percent |
11.1% |
16.5% |
Black or African American alone, percent |
22.9% |
13.4% |
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent |
0.5% |
1.3% |
Asian alone, percent |
25.1% |
5.9% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent |
0.0% |
0.2% |
Two or More Races, percent |
3.8% |
2.8% |
Hispanic or Latino, percent |
28.5% |
18.5% |
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent |
21.9% |
60.1% |
Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019 |
41.8% |
13.6% |
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 |
$373,700.00 |
$217,500.00 |
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019 |
$2,683.00 |
$1,595.00 |
Median gross rent, 2015-2019 |
$1,401.00 |
$1,062.00 |
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
87.6% |
88.0% |
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
47.5% |
32.1% |
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019 |
68.4% |
63.0% |
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$70,752.00 |
$62,843.00 |
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$42,022.00 |
$34,103.00 |
Persons in poverty, percent |
17.2% |
11.4% |