Community Corner
NJ's Working Poor: 535 Towns With The Most, Fewest Struggling Families
You may be surprised to see which New Jersey towns have the most - and the fewest - number of families who are struggling to make ends meet.
It's not just the so-called poor communities that are struggling. A new report shows that a significant percentage of families in each New Jersey community have to work extra hard to make ends meet.
The United Way ALICE Report, released this week, provides a comprehensive look at New Jersey residents who are struggling financially. Patch put together a list of communities and how they rank based on the 2014 percentage of working-poor families (see list below).
According to the report, 37 percent of households in New Jersey could not afford basic needs such as housing, child care, food, health care and transportation in 2014.
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Many households are living below the federal poverty level, but an even greater number of households are what United Way calls ALICE – an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
ALICE households have incomes above the federal poverty level but still struggle to afford basic household necessities. The number of ALICE and poverty-level households has increased steadily since 2007, even during the recovery from the Great Recession.
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The data reveal an ongoing struggle for ALICE households and obstacles to achieving financial stability:
- Struggling Households: Of New Jersey’s 3.2 million households, 11 percent lived in poverty in 2014 and another 26 percent were ALICE. Combined, 1.2 million households (37 percent) had income below the ALICE threshold, roughly the same as in 2012 but well above the level in 2007.
- Basic Cost of Living: The cost of basic household expenses increased steadily in every county in New Jersey between 2007 and 2014. The average budget rose by 23 percent, which is above the national rate of inflation of 14 percent during that time period.
- In 2014, the average annual household survival budget for a New Jersey family of four (two adults with one infant and one preschooler) ranged from $55,164 in Hudson County to $81,168 in Hunterdon County – well above the U.S. family poverty rate of $23,850.
- Low-wage Jobs: Low-wage jobs continued to dominate the landscape, with 52 percent of all jobs in the state paying less than $20 per hour.
Here is the list of towns, ranked from highest to lowest, followed by a number that shows the percentage of "ALICE" working poor:
- Seaside Heights 79
- Camden 76
- Atlantic City 72
- Passaic 72
- Paterson 70
- Salem 70
- Bridgeton 69
- Trenton 69
- Penns Grove 69
- Asbury Park 68
- Lindenwold 67
- Woodlynne 67
- Orange 67
- Victory Gardens 67
- New Brunswick 66
- Hi-Nella 64
- Wildwood 64
- Newark 64
- Sussex 64
- Audubon Park 62
- Lakewood 62
- Wrightstown 61
- Commercial 61
- Keansburg 61
- Fairfield 60
- Clementon 59
- Woodbine 59
- East Orange 59
- Irvington 59
- Flemington 59
- Perth Amboy 59
- Shrewsbury 57
- Freehold 56
- Prospect Park 56
- Pleasantville 55
- Somerdale 55
- Long Branch 55
- Manchester 55
- Newton 55
- Elizabeth 55
- North Wildwood 55
- Gloucester City 54
- Pine Hill 54
- Downe 54
- Millville 54
- Beverly 53
- Bellmawr 53
- Vineland 53
- Union City 53
- Buena 52
- Egg Harbor City 52
- Chesilhurst 52
- Berkeley 52
- Roselle 52
- Garfield 51
- Burlington 51
- Riverside 51
- Neptune City 51
- Netcong 51
- Phillipsburg 51
- Lodi 50
- Magnolia 50
- Lake Como 50
- Carneys Point 50
- Fairview 49
- West New York 49
- Keyport 49
- Somers Point 48
- Upper Deerfield 48
- Dover 48
- Lakehurst 48
- Haledon 48
- Maple Shade 47
- North Hanover 47
- Collingswood 47
- Lawnside 47
- Runnemede 47
- Belmar 47
- Montague 47
- Cliffside Park 46
- Hackensack 46
- West Cape May 46
- Maurice River 46
- Bradley Beach 46
- Tuckerton 46
- Plainfield 46
- Ventnor City 45
- Wallington 45
- Barrington 45
- Brooklawn 45
- Mount Ephraim 45
- Pennsauken 45
- Eatontown 45
- Red Bank 45
- Ocean Gate 45
- Bound Brook 45
- Franklin (Sussex) 45
- Pemberton 44
- Southampton 44
- Oaklyn 44
- East Newark 44
- Guttenberg 44
- Carteret 44
- Manville 44
- Brigantine 43
- Weymouth 43
- Palmyra 43
- North Bergen 43
- Neptune 43
- Pennsville 43
- Quinton 43
- Winfield 43
- Buena Vista 42
- Bordentown 42
- Edgewater Park 42
- Mount Holly 42
- West Wildwood 42
- Glen Gardner 42
- Highland Park 42
- Farmingdale 42
- Little Egg Harbor 42
- South Toms River 42
- Clifton 42
- Elmer 42
- Stratford 41
- Lower 41
- Harrison 41
- Jamesburg 41
- South River 41
- Wharton 41
- South Bound Brook 41
- Branchville 41
- White 41
- Moonachie 40
- Palisades Park 40
- Bass River 40
- Winslow 40
- Cape May 40
- Greenwich 40
- Lawrence (Cumberland) 40
- Bayonne 40
- Jersey City 40
- South Amboy 40
- Raritan 40
- Hamburg 40
- Stillwater 40
- Washington 40
- Eastampton 39
- Pemberton 39
- Berlin 39
- Merchantville 39
- North Plainfield 39
- Somerville 39
- Rahway 39
- Alpha 39
- Absecon 38
- Corbin City 38
- Hamilton (Atlantic) 38
- Ridgefield Park 38
- Delanco 38
- Willingboro 38
- Gloucester 38
- Hamilton (Mercer) 38
- Brick 38
- Seaside Park 38
- Elsinboro 38
- Woodstown 138
- Hillside 38
- Linden 38
- Elmwood Park 37
- Fort Lee 37
- Little Ferry 37
- South Hackensack 37
- Hopewell 37
- Frenchtown 37
- Deal 37
- Highlands 37
- Sea Bright 37
- Morristown 37
- Barnegat 37
- Eagleswood 37
- Bloomingdale 37
- Little Falls 37
- Mannington 37
- Roselle Park 37
- Galloway 36
- Hammonton 36
- Audubon 36
- Hightstown 36
- Dunellen 36
- Spotswood 36
- Ocean (Monmouth) 36
- Tinton Falls 36
- Lacey 36
- Stafford 36
- Toms River 36
- Woodland Park 36
- Pittsgrove 36
- Mullica 35
- North Arlington 35
- Fieldsboro 35
- Voorhees 35
- Waterford 35
- Middle 35
- Ocean City 35
- Belleville 35
- Caldwell 35
- Bloomsbury 35
- Hampton 35
- Ewing 35
- Beach Haven 35
- Hawthorne 35
- Alloway 35
- Oldmans 35
- Lopatcong 35
- Margate City 34
- Shiloh 34
- Stow Creek 34
- Kearny 34
- North Brunswick 34
- Oceanport 34
- Rockaway 34
- Totowa 34
- Andover 34
- Hampton 34
- Sandyston 34
- Stanhope 34
- Belvidere 34
- Englewood 33
- Leonia 33
- Lyndhurst 33
- Burlington 33
- Berlin 33
- Dennis 33
- East Windsor 33
- Helmetta 33
- Middlesex 33
- Monroe 33
- Sayreville 33
- Atlantic Highlands 33
- Englishtown 33
- Spring Lake Heights 33
- Ship Bottom 33
- Surf City 33
- Pompton Lakes 33
- Pilesgrove 33
- Mansfield (Warren) 33
- Folsom 32
- Northfield 32
- East Rutherford 32
- New Milford 32
- Haddon 32
- Deerfield 32
- Lambertville 32
- Woodbridge 32
- Roosevelt 32
- Union Beach 32
- Boonton 32
- Barnegat Light 32
- Lavallette 32
- Waretown (Ocean Township) 32
- Lower Alloways Creek 32
- Union (Union) 32
- Egg Harbor 31
- Longport 31
- Bergenfield 31
- Ridgefield 31
- Florence 31
- New Hanover 31
- Riverton 31
- Stone Harbor 31
- Wildwood Crest 31
- Weehawken 31
- Milford 31
- Hazlet 31
- West Long Branch 31
- Chester 31
- Long Beach 31
- Point Pleasant Boro 31
- Point Pleasant Beach 31
- Vernon 31
- Bordentown 30
- Mount Laurel 30
- Laurel Springs 30
- Old Bridge 30
- Allenhurst 30
- Avon-by-the-Sea 30
- Butler 30
- Mount Arlington 30
- Mount Olive 30
- Parsippany-Troy Hills 30
- Beachwood 30
- Harvey Cedars 30
- Plumsted 30
- Hopatcong 30
- Hackettstown 30
- Bogota 29
- Hasbrouck Heights 29
- Maywood 29
- Lumberton 29
- Haddon Heights 29
- Holland 29
- Lawrence (Mercer) 29
- Plainsboro 29
- Aberdeen 29
- Allentown 29
- Howell 29
- Mine Hill 29
- Pequannock 29
- Island Heights 29
- Wanaque 29
- Pohatcong 29
- Carlstadt 28
- Dumont 28
- Northvale 28
- Saddle Brook 28
- Westwood 28
- Delran 28
- Washington (Burlington) 28
- Bloomfield 28
- Stockton 28
- Monmouth Beach 28
- Wall 28
- Lincoln Park 28
- Jackson 28
- Bedminster 28
- Franklin (Somerset) 28
- Millstone 28
- Wantage 28
- Garwood 28
- Midland Park 27
- Hainesport 27
- Woodland 27
- Cherry Hill 27
- East Brunswick 27
- Edison 27
- Piscataway 27
- Freehold 27
- Pine Beach 27
- Peapack and Gladstone 27
- Lafayette 27
- Liberty 27
- Oxford 27
- Edgewater 26
- Emerson 26
- Saddle River 26
- Cinnaminson 26
- Evesham 26
- Avalon 26
- Cape May Point 26
- Nutley 26
- Clinton 26
- Lebanon 26
- South Plainfield 26
- Matawan 26
- Hanover 26
- Far Hills 26
- Knowlton 26
- Rochelle Park 25
- Sea Isle City 25
- West Orange 25
- Milltown 25
- Middletown 25
- Boonton 25
- Riverdale 25
- Bay Head 25
- North Haledon 25
- West Milford 25
- Watchung 25
- Andover 25
- Hardyston 25
- Ogdensburg 25
- Fair Lawn 24
- Rutherford 24
- Shamong 24
- Tabernacle 24
- Gibbsboro 24
- Raritan 24
- Princeton 24
- Robbinsville 24
- Florham Park 24
- Wayne 24
- Fredon 24
- Independence 24
- Cresskill 23
- Montvale 23
- Teaneck 23
- Medford 23
- Montclair 23
- Manalapan 23
- Jefferson 23
- Madison 23
- Frankford 23
- Mahwah 22
- Norwood 22
- Old Tappan 22
- Paramus 22
- Moorestown 22
- Springfield 22
- Haddonfield 22
- Upper 22
- Secaucus 22
- Franklin (Hunterdon) 22
- High Bridge 22
- Readington 22
- West Amwell 22
- Pennington 22
- Metuchen 22
- South Brunswick 22
- Sea Girt 22
- Denville 22
- East Hanover 22
- Morris Plains 22
- Randolph 22
- Rockaway 22
- Roxbury 22
- Hillsborough 22
- Rocky Hill 22
- Byram 22
- Clark 22
- Springfield22
- Harmony 22
- Linwood 21
- Port Republic 21
- Hillsdale 21
- Waldwick 21
- Wood-Ridge 21
- Verona 21
- Hoboken 21
- Delaware 21
- Hopewell 21
- Cranbury 21
- Manasquan 21
- Shrewsbury 21
- Long Hill 21
- Upper Pittsgrove 21
- Bridgewater 21
- Summit 21
- Estell Manor 20
- River Edge 20
- Westampton 20
- Maplewood 20
- Union (Hunterdon) 20
- Brielle 20
- Holmdel 20
- Mendham 20
- Branchburg 20
- Hope 20
- Closter 19
- Harrington Park 19
- Tenafly 19
- Mansfield (Burlington) 19
- West Caldwell 19
- West Windsor 19
- Rumson 19
- Spring Lake 19
- Harding 19
- Kinnelon 19
- Montville 19
- Ringwood 19
- Alpine 18
- Oakland 18
- Oradell 18
- Park Ridge 18
- South Orange Village 18
- Chatham 18
- Morris 18
- Mantoloking 18
- Bernardsville 18
- Green 18
- Sparta 18
- Kenilworth18
- Allamuchy 18
- Hardwick 18
- Ramsey 17
- River Vale 17
- Chesterfield 17
- Cedar Grove 17
- Califon 17
- Clinton 17
- East Amwell 17
- Colts Neck 17
- Bernards 17
- Green Brook 17
- Warren 17
- Blairstown 17
- Franklin (Warren) 17
- Washington (Warren) 17
- Allendale 16
- Ridgewood 16
- Wyckoff 16
- Fairfield 16
- Roseland 16
- Lebanon 16
- Marlboro 16
- Upper Freehold 16
- Washington (Morris) 16
- Montgomery 16
- Cranford 16
- New Providence 16
- Scotch Plains 16
- Frelinghuysen 16
- Washington (Bergen) 15
- Livingston 15
- Hopewell 15
- Fair Haven 15
- Chatham 15
- Ho-Ho-Kus 14
- Interlaken 14
- Berkeley Heights 14
- Westfield 14
- Franklin Lakes 13
- Haworth 13
- Bethlehem 13
- Kingwood 13
- Mendham 13
- Mountainside 13
- Demarest 12
- Englewood Cliffs 12
- Glen Rock 12
- Medford Lakes 12
- Millburn 12
- Alexandria 12
- Tewksbury 12
- Little Silver 12
- Millstone 12
- Greenwich 12
- Woodcliff Lake 11
- Chester 11
- Fanwood 11
- Upper Saddle River 10
- Glen Ridge 10
- Essex Fells 9
- North Caldwell 9
- Mountain Lakes 8
Patch file photo
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