National Center for Healthy Housing

Northern New Jersey, NJ

	Overall Rankings
	Metro Area (out of 45):
	Healthy Housing: 22nd
	Prior Rank: n/a
	Central City (out of 44):
	Healthy Housing: 33rd
	Prior Rank: n/a
	Data source: 2009 American Housing Survey

Location Summary

Positive Findings: Compared to the national average, units in the northern New Jersey metro area were less likely to have water leaks from the outside, water supply stoppages, room heaters without a flue, and roofing, siding, and window problems. Central city dwellings were less likely to have room heaters without a flue. Units outside the central city were less likely to have water leaks from the outside, water supply stoppages, room heaters without a flue, and window problems. Rental units were less likely to have water leaks from outside, room heaters without a flue, and rooms without a working electrical outlet. Owner-occupied homes had fewer incidences of open cracks or holes in floors, evidence of rats, water leaks from inside or outside, water supply stoppages, room heaters without a flue, and window problems.

Areas for Improvement: Compared to the national average, northern New Jersey-area homes had more problems with signs of mice, flush toilet or sewage disposal breakdowns, heating equipment failure, or a lack of kitchen facilities. Central city units were more likely to have problems with holes in floors, broken plaster or peeling paint, signs of mice, flush toilet or sewage disposal breakdowns, heating equipment failure, or inadequate kitchen facilities. Dwellings outside the central city were more likely to experience heating equipment breakdowns and have exposed wiring or inadequate kitchen facilities. Rental units had more problems with mice and rats, breakdowns in sewage and heating equipment, and exposed wiring. Owner-occupied homes in the northern New Jersey area were more likely to lack kitchen facilities or experience heating equipment failure when compared to the national averages.

Community Information: The Northern New Jersey MSA is comprised of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union counties, New Jersey. In 2009, the MSA included 2,362,509 occupied dwelling units, 15.5% of which were located in the central city of Newark, NJ. The housing stock of the MSA ranks among the oldest and most heavily rental of the cities surveyed. The percentage of pre-1940 homes ranked 8th-oldest (24.6%) for the MSA and 13th-oldest (40.1%) for the central city. The median house age in the MSA was 1962. The percentage of rental units ranked 20th-most heavily rental (36.8%) for the MSA and 2nd-most heavily rental (72.7%) for the central city. Compared to other locations, the northern New Jersey area had an average rate of poverty, with a higher rate of poverty in the central city. Its poverty rate ranked 12th (9.1%) for the entire MSA and 31st (19.3%) for homes in the central city.