These are some of New Jersey’s cheapest yet safest cities

Living in New Jersey is expensive.

Our cost of living is approximately 30% higher than the national average, with housing, healthcare, and groceries all more expensive here.

But there are still bargains to be found in the housing market; while often inexpensive housing is found in dangerous neighborhoods, GoBankingRates identified seven towns in New Jersey that are both affordable and safe.

One of the towns is Rahway, where the median home value is $276,500.

Rahway is in the 41st percentile for crime, meaning 41% of cities are more dangerous. In the west side of the city, your chance of being involved in a crime is just 1 in 96.

Next is New Brunswick. The median home price is $267,200.

In Phillipsburg, the median home price is an affordable $144,200. In the northwest part of the city, the chance of being involved in a crime is just 1 in 91.

For Toms River, the median home price is $298,800, while the crime rate is 16.80 per 1,000 residents. The chance of being a crime victim in the northeast section of the town is 1 in 92.

Pompton Lakes has a very low crime rate; it is safer than 82% of cities nationwide. In the southwest part of the city your chance of being a crime victim is just 1 in 185. The median home value in Pompton Lakes is $324,700.

Keep in mind, crime rates are influenced by many factors; retail areas often have higher rates of crime as do entertainment areas.

There are affordable places to live in New Jersey without sacrificing safety.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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