New Jersey’s 10 ‘safest cities’ are all in one part of the state

Rates of violent crime and property crime are on the decline overall in New Jersey, but some spots are incredibly safer than others.

Safewise, an online resource for safety information and tools, is out with its 2022 rankings of the safest municipalities in the Garden State. There is a new No. 1.

Using the latest FBI crime statistics, which include reporting from individual law enforcement agencies, Safewise found that New Jersey's violent crime rate dropped nearly 6% over the year. The property crime rate fell 13%.

When surveyed by Safewise, New Jersey residents said they are most concerned about property crime, followed by violent crime, package theft, and gun violence. Despite a crime-rate decrease, 52% percent of Garden State residents said they feel safe here, compared to 55% of Americans.

Below is a list of the 10 safest cities in New Jersey, according to Safewise. They're all located in the northern half of the state.

Check here for the rankings of more than 200 New Jersey municipalities.

Safewise automatically excludes any municipality with a population below 2,500.

10. Robbinsville Township (Mercer County)

• Population: 14,628
• Median Income: $155,107
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.1
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 3.1

 9. Jefferson Township (Morris County)

• Population: 20,626
• Median Income: $106,892
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.4
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.5

8. Bernards Township (Somerset County)

• Population: 27,130
• Median Income: $151,871
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.0
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 3.0

7. Wanaque (Passaic County)

• Population: 11,828
• Median Income: $95,023
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.4
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.1

6. Monroe Township (Middlesex County)

• Population: 45,653
• Median Income: $90,451
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.2
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.5

5. Berkeley Heights Township (Union County)

• Population: 13,371
• Median Income: $183,056
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.0
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.5

4. River Vale Township (Bergen County) No. 1 in 2021

• Population: 10,007
• Median Income: $153,161
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.0
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.5

3. Hasbrouck Heights (Bergen County)

• Population: 11,988
• Median Income: $94,801
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.0
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.4

2. Ringwood (Passaic County)

• Population: 12,177
• Median Income: $125,476
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.2
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 2.1

1. Sparta Township (Sussex County)

• Population: 18,467
• Median Income: $138,061
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000 people): 0.2
• Property crime rate (per 1,000 people): 1.0

Sparta ranks No. 7 on Safewise's list of the safest cities in the nation.

"The police department for a long time, I think, has had a culture of professionalism, community policing, community engagement, and we've been known to be pretty proactive out there," Neil Spidaletto, chief of police for Sparta, told New Jersey 101.5.

Spidaletto said he's been told be detained criminals that they try to avoid Sparta — Route 15 runs through the township.

"It's just nice to be recognized," said Mayor David Smith. "We see a lot nationally, what's going on with the police forces — it is the complete opposite in this township. The love for the police in this township, you can't say enough about it."

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

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