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Is Elmwood Park, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Elmwood Park is a small city of 21,261 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $84,578 and a 6.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Elmwood Park stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Elmwood Park is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Elmwood Park city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Elmwood Park's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Elmwood Park costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Elmwood Park, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $434,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,979 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 53.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $84,578 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageElmwood Park's violent crime rate is 221.4 per 100,000 residents — 42% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Elmwood Park is served primarily by Elmwood Park School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Elmwood Park, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Elmwood Park School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Elmwood Park sees average highs of 39.9°F in January and 87.0°F in July, with 49.4 inches of annual precipitation and 28.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Elmwood Park, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.9°F |
| Average High — July | 87.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Elmwood Park, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,261 | — |
| Median Age | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 63.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 7.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 9.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Elmwood Park
Elmwood Park, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: