These NY, NJ towns top ‘America’s Safest Suburbs’ l Full list

NEW YORK – SmartAsset has come out with their 2024 study of America’s Safest Suburbs – and NY and NJ were well-represented.

JUMP TO: NEW JERSEY l NEW YORK

The analysis by the personal finance company ranked 360 suburbs of major U.S. cities, noting “safety is a key factor when choosing a neighborhood to buy a home.”

The study measured a community’s safety level by comparing rates of reported violent crime, property crime, motor vehicle deaths, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking. 

Here are the suburbs from New Jersey and New York that made the list:

• Violent crime per capita: 0.00118
• Property crime per capita: 0.01480
• Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.36
• Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 19.00
• Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.10
• Median monthly housing cost: $2,730
• Median household income: $136,806
• Percent of annual income going to housing: 23.9%

Fort Lee, NJ (#17)

• Violent crime per capita: 0.00829
• Property crime per capita: 0.02450
• Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.36
• Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 19.00
• Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.10
• Median monthly housing cost: $1,939
• Median household income: $101,573
• Percent of annual income going to housing: 22.9%

• Violent crime per capita: 0.00137
• Property crime per capita: 0.01007
• Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 6.07
• Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 18.39
• Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.40
• Median monthly housing cost: $3,051
• Median household income: $170,151
• Percent of annual income going to housing: 21.5%

“To help measure the value for the local cost of living, housing affordability in the safest neighborhoods was also considered,” researchers added. 

The study identified a suburb as being a 15 to 45 minute drive from the 100 largest U.S. cities. Here’s the full list of the top 20 safest suburbs in America:

1. Lehi, UT
2. Bethesda, MD
3. Layton, UT
4. Rockville, MD
5. Great Falls, VA
6. Dacula, GA
7. Buford, GA
8. Elmhurst, IL
9. Oak Brook, IL
10. Edgewater, NJ
11. Palo Alto, CA
12. 12. Noblesville, IN
13. Naperville, IL
14. Mountain View, CA
15. Pacifica, CA
16. 16. Fishers, IN
17. Fort Lee, NJ
18. Carmel, IN
19. Livermore, CA
20. Massapequa, NY

FOX 2 San Francisco helped contribute to this report.