Carteret and Rahway receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Carteret
Rahway
Opportunity
56 · Bottom 49%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
66 · Top 23%
vs64 · Top 25%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs72 · Bottom 36%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs29 · Bottom 21%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs63 · Top 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Carteret | Rahway | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,496 | 30,109 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,862 | $91,461 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,591 | $43,170 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,806/sq mi | 7,728/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $405,800 | $386,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,032 | $1,845 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.7% | 51.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 34.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 9.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 120 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 46.4% | 84.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.6" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.0 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 39.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.20 | 12.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.6% | 7.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.1% | 31.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.8% | 63.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Carteret
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake.
Rahway
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Carteret, NJ · Rahway, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology