Lakewood, NJ Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Lakewood, NJ

What is Lakewood's overall crime grade?

Lakewood, NJ earns an overall crime grade of B- for 2026, meaning it performs better than a significant portion of comparable New Jersey communities but still has room for improvement. This grade reflects a combination of property and violent crime data across the township's roughly 104,186 residents. A B- signals that while Lakewood is not among the highest-crime towns in the state, residents should remain aware of localized hotspots — particularly in denser commercial corridors — rather than treating the entire township as uniformly safe.

How does Lakewood's poverty rate affect its crime levels?

Lakewood carries a poverty rate of 25% — notably higher than the New Jersey state average — and an unemployment rate of 6.7%. Research consistently shows a correlation between economic hardship and property crime rates. In Lakewood's case, these economic pressures are concentrated in specific pockets of the township rather than spread evenly. Neighborhoods with higher residential density (the township averages 1,629 residents per square mile) and lower median incomes tend to show elevated incident counts on the crime map. Understanding this context helps residents interpret the data more accurately rather than drawing broad conclusions about the entire community.

What types of crimes are most common in Lakewood?

Property crimes — including theft, motor vehicle theft, and burglary — represent the dominant category of reported incidents in Lakewood, consistent with patterns seen in similarly sized New Jersey townships. Violent crimes such as assault are reported at lower rates but are monitored closely by the Lakewood Police Department, particularly in higher-density residential zones. Drug-related offenses also appear in the incident data and tend to correlate with areas of higher economic stress. With a median household income of $52,530 and a median rent of $1,414, housing cost burdens for lower-income residents can indirectly influence property crime patterns in certain neighborhoods.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Lakewood, NJ?

While Lakewood's crime map does not assign individual letter grades to every micro-neighborhood, incident density data points to several areas with consistently lower reported crime. The Pine Park area and neighborhoods surrounding the Lakewood Country Club — which sit in less commercially dense parts of the township — tend to show fewer incidents per capita. Conversely, neighborhoods clustered around major commercial thoroughfares and transit corridors typically account for a disproportionate share of reported property crimes. Prospective residents are encouraged to filter the crime map by incident type and time period to compare specific zip code zones before making housing decisions. With a median home value of $356,812, understanding neighborhood-level safety data is a meaningful part of any real estate evaluation in Lakewood.

Is Lakewood, NJ a good place to live in 2026?

For many residents, Lakewood offers genuine appeal: a tightly knit community with strong religious and cultural institutions, relatively accessible home values at a median of $356,812, and a B- overall crime grade that places it in a reasonable safety tier for Ocean County. That said, the township's 25% poverty rate and 6.7% unemployment rate are real economic headwinds that prospective residents should weigh. Families who prioritize community cohesion, affordability relative to the broader New Jersey market, and access to parks and schools will find compelling reasons to consider Lakewood. Those with concerns about crime should use the interactive crime map to evaluate specific neighborhoods — the township's safety profile varies meaningfully from one area to the next, and a B- average masks both safer pockets and more active incident zones.

How can I use the Lakewood crime map to make informed decisions?

The most effective way to use Lakewood's crime map is to apply filters by crime type, date range, and geographic area simultaneously. For example, if property crime is your primary concern, filtering for theft and burglary incidents over the past 90 days will give you a far more actionable picture than looking at all-time aggregate data. Pay attention to heat map concentrations near commercial strips versus residential-only zones. The Lakewood Police Department's official website provides supplemental context for interpreting spikes in incident data, and cross-referencing with community forums can help you understand whether a cluster of incidents reflects a short-term pattern or a persistent concern in a given neighborhood.