Is Packanack Lake, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Packanack Lake is a small town of 5,982 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $182,274 and a 4.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Packanack Lake stands out for a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Packanack Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Packanack Lake 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: 112.5Packanack Lake's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Packanack Lake costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Packanack Lake, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $573,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,942 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 97.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $182,274 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AveragePackanack Lake's violent crime rate is 451.8 per 100,000 residents — 19% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Packanack Lake, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 63.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Packanack Lake sees average highs of 39.3°F in January and 86.5°F in July, with 50.6 inches of annual precipitation and 28.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Packanack Lake, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Packanack Lake, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,982 | — |
| Median Age | 44.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 83.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 25.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.0% | 16.8% |