Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety48#8,102/15,637
Economy97#482/15,631
Housing15#12,759/14,977
Health90#1,513/15,609
Healthcare81#2,967/15,650
Environment50#7,779/15,453
Education88#1,866/15,649
Infrastructure92#1,284/15,650
Community69#4,832/15,651
Leisure & amenities59#6,440/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brookdale, New Jersey ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Essex County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Distance to an emergency room · low1.5 mi
100/100New Jersey 3.9 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesEssex County value
Distance to an airport · low6 mi
100/100New Jersey 21 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauEssex County value
Public transit commuters · high14.9%
99/100New Jersey 8.1%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Adult obesity · low21.6%
98/100New Jersey 29.7%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Distance to an Amtrak station · low4 mi
98/100New Jersey 11 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauEssex County value
Access to exercise opportunities · high99.5%
98/100New Jersey 95.9%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEssex County value

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high2.25%
4/100New Jersey 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Average commute time · high35.3 min
4/100New Jersey 30.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Child care cost burden · high41.0%
7/100New Jersey 34.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEssex County value
Comfortable days · low23.6%
16/100New Jersey 24.9%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationEssex County value
Voter turnout · low57.9%
17/100New Jersey 67.2%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionEssex County value
Drug overdose deaths · high24.6 /100k
18/100New Jersey 15.8 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataEssex County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsImproving
69.6% (2015-2019) → 53.3% (2020-2024)
−16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$112,214 (2015-2019) → $161,779 (2020-2024)
+44%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeImproving
44.7% (2015-2019) → 36.3% (2020-2024)
−8.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
55.7% (2015-2019) → 62.5% (2020-2024)
+6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Child poverty rateImproving
7.8% (2015-2019) → 1.9% (2020-2024)
−6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
7.4% (2015-2019) → 3.8% (2020-2024)
−3.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Brookdale, New Jersey improved on 3 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Property tax−1.1 points3.33% → 2.25%
Household income+44%$112,214 → $161,779
Broadband+3.2 points92.2% → 95.4%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Brookdale, New Jersey between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	35.9 min2015-2019	35.3 min2020-2024	−0.6 min	Within the margin of error	55%
Bachelor's degree or higher	55.7%2015-2019	62.5%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Broadband subscriptions	92.2%2015-2019	95.4%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Improved	21%
Effective property tax rate	3.33%2015-2019	2.25%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	96.7%2015-2019	96.2%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4132015-2019	0.3742020-2024	−0.039	Within the margin of error	79%
Median household income	$112,2142015-2019	$161,7792020-2024	+44%	Improved	79%
Poverty rate	7.4%2015-2019	3.8%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Public transit commuters	15.9%2015-2019	14.9%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Rent as share of income	44.7%2015-2019	36.3%2020-2024	−8.4 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Rent-burdened households	69.6%2015-2019	53.3%2020-2024	−16 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Unemployment rate	4.4%2015-2019	4.3%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.5%2015-2019	2.6%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	68%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Brookdale, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brookdale, New Jersey in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Brookdale, New Jersey itself moved +7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

9,960 residents (±991)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29†
10–19
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 40–49 women (−3.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

9,960 residents (±991)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

White50%5,015
Black7.7%†769
Hispanic or Latino22%†2,217
Asian12%1,185
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%†25
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races7.5%†749

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−12.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

6,631 residents (±612)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

No high school diploma3.8%†249
High school or GED20%1,308
Some college9.2%609
Associate degree4.8%†318
Bachelor's degree39%2,605
Graduate degree23%1,542

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (−4.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,503 households (±334)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k6.0%†210
$25k–50k10%†354
$50k–75k5.6%†196
$75k–100k8.9%†313
$100k–150k16%546
$150k–200k15%526
$200k or more39%1,358

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+20.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,503 households (±334)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own87%3,053
Rent13%450

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

428 households (±112)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $7502.3%†10
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50018%†76

Home values

3,053 homes (±298)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $150k1.1%†34
$150k–250k2.3%†70
$250k–400k9.9%†303

Age of homes

3,579 homes (±337)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

2010 or later1.6%†59
2000–20092.2%†79
1980–19993.9%†140

Size of homes

3,579 homes (±337)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Studio1.7%†62
1 bedroom7.1%†255
2 bedrooms12%†444

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

5,266 workers (±541)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone49%2,606
Carpool10.0%†526
Public transit15%783
Walk1.4%†73
Bike0.2%†10
Work from home24%†1,251
Other0.3%†17

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−22.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

4,015 workers (±412)

Brookdale, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under 15 min18%707
15–29 min32%1,282
30–44 min19%743

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Essex County, the county holding most of Brookdale's residents.

Essex County has 19,392 employer establishments, 223 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248; 0.88× New Jersey's), with 295,575 paid employees at an average annual pay of $75,582. The Census Bureau also counts 92,261 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 19,392; 92,261 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 223; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 295,575
Average annual pay: $75,582; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Essex County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,941	22.3	1.07×About typical	20,823	$65,526	4,826
Restaurants and other eating places	1,460	16.8	0.91×About typical	17,661	$27,354	624
Specialty trade contractors	954	11	0.71×Fewer than typical	7,789	$77,484	3,580
Lessors of real estate	924	10.6	0.86×About typical	4,340	$61,328	9,842
Construction of buildings	753	8.6	1.14×About typical	3,198	$70,189	2,615
Offices of physicians	743	8.5	1.32×More than typical	6,049	$104,182	826
Limited-service restaurants	626	7.2	0.90×About typical	7,551	$23,151	239
Full-service restaurants	622	7.1	0.93×About typical	8,361	$32,364	265
Personal care services	587	6.7	1.41×More than typical	2,965	$26,829	4,342
Legal services	574	6.6	1.23×About typical	5,890	$150,118	976
Truck transportation	501	5.8	1.14×About typical	4,080	$60,198	2,692
Management, scientific and technical consulting	470	5.4	0.80×About typical	2,922	$104,779	3,541

Rank places for an industry Open Essex County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 871,153 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $252K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Brookdale, New Jersey: $25.30 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $252K; +76% vs FY2025
Per resident: $25.30; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 58%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$111.4K44%
Departmental Offices$55.6K22%
Defense Logistics Agency$52.9K21%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$18.1K7.2%
United States Mint$7,8343.1%
Agricultural Research Service$6,1262.4%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

224.6KFY2017
119.1KFY2018
174.2KFY2019
118.7KFY2020
268.6KFY2021
152.1KFY2022
248KFY2023
209.7K

Top industries (NAICS)

Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$111.4K44%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$63.5K25%
Hardware manufacturing · 3325$17K6.7%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$14.2K5.6%
Fabric mills · 3132$9,1603.6%
Textile and fabric finishing and fabric coating mills · 3133$8,979

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Brookdale, New Jersey, so they do not add up across cities.

Brookdale, New Jersey's figures are part of those of Essex County, NJ ($771.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Brookdale is mostly in Essex County.

See federal money in Essex County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Brookdale, New Jersey is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Essex County63100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ68

Other cities and towns in Essex County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3408110

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends