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Looking for a quieter, lower-stress place to live (or just visit) in the Garden State? SafeWise just dropped its latest rankings of New Jersey’s safest cities based on the most recent FBI crime data, and the results are pretty encouraging.
New Jersey continues to sit well below national averages for both violent and property crime. The state’s violent crime rate is 2.64 incidents per 1,000 people (national average is 4.43), ranking it seventh-lowest in the country. Property crime came in at 15.88 per 1,000 people—still the fifth-lowest nationwide, even though it ticked up slightly from last year.
Residents are feeling it too. In SafeWise’s State of Safety survey, 56% of New Jerseyans said they feel safe in the state, up from 47% the year before and higher than the national average of 52%. Personal experiences with both property and violent crime dropped, and concern levels fell across the board (though New Jerseyans still worry a bit more than the average American).
Here’s a quick look at the top 10 safest cities for 2026, ranked by overall crime rates. (Note: rankings only include places that met population thresholds and submitted complete 2023 FBI data.)
1. Vernon Township
Population: 22,851 Vernon takes the top spot for the third year in a row. Violent crime stayed essentially nonexistent (0.0 per 1,000), and property crime remained very low at 1.7. Quiet, spacious, and consistently low on the crime radar.
2. Bernards Township
Population: 28,921 Holding strong in second place for the third straight year. Violent crime was a tiny 0.1, and property crime dropped to 1.8. Classic suburban calm with excellent numbers year after year.
3. South River
Population: 16,237 Big mover—up 15 spots. Violent crime fell to 0.5, but the real story is property crime, which plunged to just 1.0 after dropping 84% over the past two years. Impressive turnaround.
4. Barnegat Township
Population: 26,713 Jumped 10 spots. Violent crime at 0.6 and property crime at a super-low 0.8 (an 81% drop over two years). Zero motor vehicle thefts reported. Solid Shore-adjacent safety.
Related: Several NJ Boardwalks Voted Best in America
5. Dumont
Population: 18,765 Climbed seven places. Violent crime down to 0.2 and property crime at 2.9. Steady improvement and very low violent crime numbers.
6. New Providence
Population: 13,717 New to the list this year. Violent crime 0.4, property crime 2.6. Clean data and strong overall ranking for this Union County borough.
7. Hopatcong
Population: 14,721 Slipped just two spots but still firmly in the top 10. Violent crime 0.7, property crime 1.8. Lake life with low crime stats.
8. Oakland
Population: 12,944 Another newcomer. Violent crime a low 0.3 and property crime 3.4. Quiet Bergen County option making its debut.
9. Madison
Population: 16,643 Up one spot. Violent crime stayed at a tiny 0.1, property crime 4.1. College-town energy with very little violent crime.
10. Denville Township
Population: 17,546 Dropped four places but still makes the cut. Violent crime 0.2, property crime steady at 4.2. Reliable Morris County safety.
A few standout trends
- None of the top 10 reported a single murder.
- 80% of them reported zero rapes, and 60% reported zero robberies.
- Five of the ten (Vernon, South River, Barnegat, Dumont, and Hopatcong) saw year-over-year drops in violent crime.
- South River and Barnegat posted the most dramatic property-crime improvements.
Crime rankings are useful for spotting patterns, but real-world safety is more than numbers. It comes down to community involvement, local priorities, economic factors, and everyday choices people make.
New Jerseyans are leaning on security cameras (the most popular measure) and security systems, while about 30% still use no property protection at all. For personal safety, pepper spray and pocket knives top the list of preferred tools.
Overall, the state is trending in a positive direction on both the data and the feeling-of-safety fronts. Just another reason why many will gladly pay more to live here. Whether you’re house-hunting, planning a move, or just curious about where things feel calmest, these ten towns offer some of the lowest crime rates New Jersey has to offer right now.
Sources: SafeWise 2026 report (FBI crime data + State of Safety survey).
