Is Lake Hiawatha, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Lake Hiawatha is a small city of 10,064 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $95,673 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Lake Hiawatha stands out for solid school ratings (A+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Lake Hiawatha is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake Hiawatha 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: 112.5Lake Hiawatha's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake Hiawatha costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake Hiawatha, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $390,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,402 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 59.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $95,673 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLake Hiawatha's violent crime rate is 27.0 per 100,000 residents — 93% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake Hiawatha is served primarily by Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.0:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake Hiawatha, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 10 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 51.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake Hiawatha sees average highs of 37.6°F in January and 85.4°F in July, with 49.2 inches of annual precipitation and 24.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake Hiawatha, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 37.6°F |
| Average High — July | 85.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake Hiawatha, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,064 | — |
| Median Age | 39.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 51.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 32.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lake Hiawatha
Lake Hiawatha, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: