Edgewater receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Edgewater
Clifton
Opportunity
81 · Top 6%
vs72 · Top 18%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs39 · Bottom 30%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs71 · Top 47%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs36 · Bottom 29%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 17%
vs74 · Bottom 40%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Edgewater | Clifton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,759 | 89,379 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $124,050 | $98,237 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $84,598 | $47,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 15,200/sq mi | 7,927/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $715,700 | $461,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,579 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.8% | 59.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72.7% | 35.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.7% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 385 | 60 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 26.1 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 117.5% | 7.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 42.3 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 41.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.24 | 11.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 16.9% | 51.1% | 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
Edgewater
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake.
Clifton
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Edgewater, NJ · Clifton, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology