Borough · Monmouth County, New Jersey

Fair Haven, New Jersey

Fair Haven is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area. It has 6,170 residents. Fair Haven, New Jersey has a quality-of-life score of 96 out of 100 (very high), ranking #651 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Jersey it ranks #65 of 552 cities and towns. It ranks best on poor or fair health (low), median household income (high) and food insecurity (low). It ranks worst on average commute time (high), job growth (low) and high ozone days (high).

96Very high

Quality-of-life score: #651 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Jersey: #65 of 552 in NJ
Population: 6,170 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 3,872.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 3422440

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.

Safety90#1,601/15,637
Economy91#1,391/15,631
Housing31#10,261/14,977
Health96#563/15,609
Healthcare95#734/15,650
Environment36#9,875/15,453
Education97#525/15,649
Infrastructure82#2,789/15,650
Community98#245/15,651
Leisure & amenities97#489/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Poor or fair health · low8.8%
100/100New Jersey 15.8%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Median household income · high$250,001
100/100New Jersey $104,202United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013At least this value: the publisher's top bracket is open-ended
Food insecurity · low4.9%
100/100New Jersey 15.0%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Bachelor's degree or higher · high86.8%
100/100New Jersey 43.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Lack of reliable transportation · low3.6%
100/100New Jersey 7.8%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Public transit commuters · high18.1%
99/100New Jersey 8.1%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301

Weaknesses

Average commute time · high44.1 min
3/100New Jersey 30.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Job growth · low-2.0%
13/100New Jersey 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMonmouth County value
High ozone days · high5 days
15/100New Jersey 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMonmouth County value
Comfortable days · low23.6%
16/100New Jersey 24.9%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationMonmouth County value
Days with unhealthy air · high2.3%
17/100New Jersey 0.8%2025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMonmouth County value
Effective property tax rate · high1.48%
22/100New Jersey 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Trends

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

PopulationRising
5,873 (2015-2019) → 6,170 (2020-2024)
+5.1%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
71.2% (2015-2019) → 86.8% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
New homes permittedImproving
2.1 /1k (2021) → 3.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+48%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Median household incomeImproving
$179,138 (2015-2019) → $250,001 (2020-2024)
+40%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeImproving
23.8% (2015-2019) → 17.6% (2020-2024)
−6.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Public transit commutersWorsening
23.2% (2015-2019) → 18.1% (2020-2024)
−5.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B08301US 5.0% → 3.2%

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, Fair Haven, New Jersey improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 moved within the margin of error and 1 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.

Improved2

Bachelor's++16 points71.2% → 86.8%
Household income+40%$179,138 → $250,001

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Fair Haven, New Jersey between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	44.6 min2015-2019	44.1 min2020-2024	−0.4 min	Within the margin of error	53%
Bachelor's degree or higher	71.2%2015-2019	86.8%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	98%
Broadband subscriptions	96.4%2015-2019	98.7%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Effective property tax rate	1.58%2015-2019	1.48%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
High school diploma or higher	97.1%2015-2019	99.5%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Home price to income ratio	4.1×2015-2019	4.0×2020-2024	−0.1×	Little change	84%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4172015-2019	0.4582020-2024	+0.041	Within the margin of error	20%
Median household income	$179,1382015-2019	$250,0012020-2024	+40%	Improved	73%
Public transit commuters	23.2%2015-2019	18.1%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Unemployment rate	3.4%2015-2019	4.9%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	22%

“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 Fair Haven, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fair Haven, 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, Fair Haven, New Jersey itself moved −1 points in standing on average over the same 8 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

6,170 residents (±19)

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

2,046 households (±131)

Fair Haven, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k1.8%†37
$25k–50k4.6%†94
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

2,046 households (±131)

Fair Haven, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own90%1,838
Rent10%†208

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

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

3,035 workers (±307)

Fair Haven, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone49%1,489
Carpool5.8%†175
Public transit18%†549

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 Monmouth County, the county holding most of Fair Haven's residents.

Monmouth County has 19,883 employer establishments, 308 for every 10,000 residents (1.24× the US rate of 248; 1.22× New Jersey's), with 257,734 paid employees at an average annual pay of $64,535. The Census Bureau also counts 69,392 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 19,883; 69,392 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 308; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 257,734
Average annual pay: $64,535; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	2,257	34.9	1.68×More than typical	24,720	$79,203	3,980
Restaurants and other eating places	1,664	25.8	1.40×More than typical	26,469	$26,472	321
Specialty trade contractors	1,290	20	1.29×More than typical	10,949	$78,504	3,464
Offices of physicians	891	13.8	2.13×More than typical	9,356	$115,945	847
Personal care services	713	11	2.31×More than typical	4,689	$26,937	1,139
Full-service restaurants	712	11	1.44×More than typical	15,233	$30,247	138
Services to buildings and dwellings	704	10.9	1.62×More than typical	4,522	$48,793	2,549
Lessors of real estate	681	10.5	0.86×About typical	4,066	$65,672	11,202
Construction of buildings	655	10.1	1.34×More than typical	4,958	$112,358	1,493
Management, scientific and technical consulting	649	10	1.50×More than typical	4,030	$83,310	3,737
Limited-service restaurants	644	10	1.24×About typical	7,955	$22,142	134
Offices of other health practitioners	615	9.5	1.57×More than typical	3,853	$44,429	2,272

Rank places for an industry Open Monmouth County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 645,796 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Fair Haven, New Jersey: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

0FY2017
12.2KFY2019
62.7KFY2023

What was bought

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

Fair Haven, New Jersey's figures are part of those of Monmouth County, NJ ($815.7M 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: Fair Haven is mostly in Monmouth County.

See federal money in Monmouth 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.

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

House

Senate

Andy Kim

County

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

Monmouth County92100% 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 Monmouth 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/3422440

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends