Newark vs Camden

Which is the better fit for you?

Newark, DE
47
Area Score
Bottom 12% nationally
Camden, NJ
51
Area Score
Bottom 24% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Camden receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Newark to Camden

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 102.4 against 102.4 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$285 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,546 in Camden against $1,831 in Newark.
The median home
71% less
$112,000 in Camden against $382,500 in Newark.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 26°F in Camden against 26°F in Newark; July highs are 88°F against 87°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Newark
Camden
Opportunity: Camden is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs
36 · Bottom 11%
Growth: Camden is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
14 · Bottom 3%
vs
39 · Bottom 27%
Climate
71 · Top 47%
vs
71 · Top 46%
Physical resilience: Camden is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
61 · Top 47%
vs
77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability: Camden is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
45 · Bottom 15%
vs
60 · Bottom 35%
Access: Camden is the more favorable of the two.
Access
86 · Bottom 30%
vs
100 · Top 4%
Economic stability: Newark is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 35%
vs
21 · Bottom 3%

Measured values

MetricNewarkCamdenSource period
Population30,33071,4962024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$76,912 — more favorable$40,5462024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$35,264 — more favorable$20,5662024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,201/sq mi8,016/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$382,500$112,0002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,654$1,226 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,831$1,546 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index102.4102.42023
Homeownership rate50.7%34.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate6.8% — more favorable8.8%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.0%+2.1% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher58.2% — more favorable10.1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate8.8% — more favorable29.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)175912 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.01.4 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−50.0%−27.3%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high87°F88°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low26°F26°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation45.3"44.1"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport31 mi8 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute20.8 min — more favorable25.4 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age22.133.32024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools10272024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.812.1 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency56.6%19.3%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency62.8%28.6%2018-19 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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Delaware and New Jersey do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Newark
—
Newark: Your Score
47
Area Score
Camden
—
Camden: Your Score
51
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Newark, DE · Camden, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology