Fort Lee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fort Lee
Newark
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs41 · Bottom 20%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
71 · Top 47%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs34 · Bottom 2%
Schools
90 · Top 3%
vs21 · Bottom 12%
Access
95 · Top 36%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Lee | Newark | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,067 | 310,178 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,274 | $52,060 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $69,104 | $27,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 15,912/sq mi | 12,847/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $448,000 | $373,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,270 | $1,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.4% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 6.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.8% | 19.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 23.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 46 | 2,472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 8.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.6% | -4.7% | 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 | 46.3" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 38.7 min | 35.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 46.6 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 83 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.96 | 16.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 51.9% | 9.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 63.8% | 29.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 24.7% | 81.7% | 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
Fort Lee
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake.
Newark
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Fort Lee, NJ · Newark, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology