Ramsey and Ridgewood 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
Ramsey
Ridgewood
Opportunity
82 · Top 5%
vs89 · Top 1%
Growth
43 · Bottom 36%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 47%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 42%
vs86 · Top 41%
Access
88 · Bottom 37%
vs92 · Top 48%
Economic stability
83 · Top 4%
vs78 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Ramsey | Ridgewood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,805 | 26,308 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $160,996 | $208,211 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $82,081 | $93,638 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,690/sq mi | 4,582/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $697,300 | $891,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,245 | $2,499 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.2% | 82.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.0% | 80.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 4.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 14 | 16 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -5.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.5 min | 37.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 41.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.51 | 13.18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 7.3% | 1.6% | 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
Ramsey
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake.
Ridgewood
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Ramsey, NJ · Ridgewood, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology