Town · Morris County, New Jersey

Dover, New Jersey

Dover is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area. It has 18,563 residents. Dover, New Jersey has a quality-of-life score of 79 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,351 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Jersey it ranks #301 of 552 cities and towns. It ranks best on violent crime rate (low), traffic deaths (low) and premature death (low). It ranks worst on uninsured residents (under 65) (high), effective property tax rate (high) and physical inactivity (high).

79High

Quality-of-life score: #3,351 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Jersey: #301 of 552 in NJ
Population: 18,563 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 6,937.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 3418070

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety100#16/15,637
Economy46#8,457/15,631
Housing1#14,843/14,977
Health86#2,258/15,609
Healthcare80#3,141/15,650
Environment59#6,335/15,453
Education67#5,190/15,649
Infrastructure54#7,128/15,650
Community94#907/15,651
Leisure & amenities84#2,498/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Dover, New Jersey ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Morris 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

Violent crime rate · low33 /100k
99/100New Jersey 194 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationMorris County value
Traffic deaths · low4.0 /100k
99/100New Jersey 6.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataMorris County value
Premature death · low3,732 /100k
99/100New Jersey 6,017 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorris County value
Depression · low14.0%
99/100New Jersey 15.6%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.5 /10k
98/100New Jersey 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMorris County value
Injury deaths · low45 /100k
98/100New Jersey 65 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorris County value

Weaknesses

Uninsured residents (under 65) · high28.7%
2/100New Jersey 9.0%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Effective property tax rate · high2.10%
6/100New Jersey 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Physical inactivity · high33.3%
12/100New Jersey 23.8%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Rent as share of income · high39.1%
13/100New Jersey 30.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
New homes permitted · low0.0 /1k
13/100New Jersey 2.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
High school diploma or higher · low77.4%
14/100New Jersey 90.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Trends

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

New homes permittedWorsening
0.2 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateWorsening
12.6% (2015-2019) → 25.2% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
51.4% (2015-2019) → 60.7% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
30.5% (2015-2019) → 39.1% (2020-2024)
+8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.7× (2015-2019) → 5.0× (2020-2024)
+33%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.8% (2015-2019) → 93.4% (2020-2024)
+6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Dover, New Jersey improved on 1 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 10 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.

Improved1

Broadband+6.6 points86.8% → 93.4%

Declined4

Child poverty+13 points12.6% → 25.2%
Rent / income+8.6 points30.5% → 39.1%
Price / income+1.2×3.7× → 5.0×
Transit use−4.4 points5.6% → 1.2%

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Dover, New Jersey between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.6 min2015-2019	26.4 min2020-2024	+1.7 min	Within the margin of error	30%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.7%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Broadband subscriptions	86.8%2015-2019	93.4%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Improved	41%
Child poverty rate	12.6%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	+13 points	Declined	9%
Effective property tax rate	2.36%2015-2019	2.10%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
High school diploma or higher	77.9%2015-2019	77.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	5.0×2020-2024	+1.2×	Declined	14%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4602015-2019	0.4062020-2024	−0.054	Within the margin of error	85%
Median household income	$71,9032015-2019	$73,7372020-2024	+2.6%	Within the margin of error	9%
Poverty rate	9.8%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Public transit commuters	5.6%2015-2019	1.2%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Declined	7%
Rent as share of income	30.5%2015-2019	39.1%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Declined	12%
Rent-burdened households	51.4%2015-2019	60.7%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Unemployment rate	4.9%2015-2019	5.9%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	26.5%2015-2019	28.7%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	24%

“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 Dover, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Dover, 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, Dover, New Jersey itself moved −6.6 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

18,563 residents (±40)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

6,661 households (±355)

Dover, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k11%†756
$25k–50k21%1,384
$50k–75k21%1,389

Homes

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

Owners and renters

6,661 households (±355)

Dover, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own46%3,067
Rent54%3,594

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

10,590 workers (±713)

Dover, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone66%6,966
Carpool11%1,179
Public transit1.2%†131

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 Morris County, the county holding most of Dover's residents.

Morris County has 16,518 employer establishments, 320 for every 10,000 residents (1.29× the US rate of 248; 1.26× New Jersey's), with 301,249 paid employees at an average annual pay of $98,917. The Census Bureau also counts 52,973 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 16,518; 52,973 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 320; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 301,249
Average annual pay: $98,917; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	1,376	26.6	1.28×More than typical	16,926	$92,226	2,934
Restaurants and other eating places	1,142	22.1	1.20×About typical	16,094	$27,250	234
Specialty trade contractors	1,075	20.8	1.34×More than typical	9,600	$89,396	2,498
Services to buildings and dwellings	742	14.4	2.13×More than typical	8,913	$40,750	1,944
Lessors of real estate	622	12	0.98×About typical	4,234	$123,247	7,829
Construction of buildings	526	10.2	1.35×More than typical	2,390	$78,648	1,179
Full-service restaurants	517	10	1.30×More than typical	8,976	$30,772	96
Management, scientific and technical consulting	512	9.9	1.48×More than typical	7,866	$157,754	3,264
Building equipment contractors	509	9.8	1.64×More than typical	4,821	$87,965	535
Personal care services	484	9.4	1.96×More than typical	2,942	$27,386	793
Landscaping services	481	9.3	2.66×More than typical	2,587	$60,749	526
Computer systems design and related services	467	9	2.09×More than typical	4,373	$111,965	1,047

Rank places for an industry Open Morris County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 516,902 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 $4.9M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Dover, New Jersey: $264 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $4.9M; −45% vs FY2025
Per resident: $264; US $1,994
Sole-source: 13%; US 30%
Single offer: 29%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$4.7M96%
Department of the Navy$175.8K3.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$23.5K0.5%
National Park Service$19K0.4%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

7.9MFY2017
7.7MFY2018
7.3MFY2019
8.5MFY2020
6.3MFY2021
9.2MFY2022
9.9MFY2023
10.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$1.3M27%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$611.4K12%
Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing · 3362$356.4K7.3%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$339K6.9%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$287.6K5.9%
Hardware manufacturing · 3325$270.5K

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 Dover, New Jersey, so they do not add up across cities.

Dover, New Jersey's figures are part of those of Morris County, NJ ($705.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.7% of that total.

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

See federal money in Morris 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.

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

House

Senate

County

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

Morris County96100% 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 Morris 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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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/3418070

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends