Newark, NJ Crime Map

Newark, NJ Crime Overview: What the Data Actually Shows

With a population of 281,917 and an overall crime grade of D-, Newark presents a genuinely mixed safety picture that depends heavily on where in the city you live or work. Across the 24 neighborhoods analyzed, nearly half — 46% — earned a combined A or B rating, while just over one in five neighborhoods (21%) scored D or F. That gap matters. It means Newark is not uniformly dangerous, but it also cannot be treated as uniformly safe. The city-wide safety rating lands at a moderate C, which reflects a real tension between its stronger residential pockets and its more troubled corridors.

Safest and Highest-Crime Neighborhoods

The standout performers are Port Newark (Grade A+, median income $46,953) and Newark International Airport (Grade A+, median income $48,312), though both serve specialized, lower-density functions rather than typical residential life. More meaningful for everyday residents are Five Corners (Grade A-, median income $61,355) and Ironbound (Grade A-, median income $52,097) — Ironbound in particular, with a population of 42,671, is the largest and most consequential safe zone in the city. Upper Roseville (Grade B+, median income $42,196) rounds out the upper tier as a more accessible, mid-income neighborhood that still maintains strong safety marks. On the other end, Dayton earns the city's only F-range grade, while Springfield/Belmont and Lincoln Park both score D-, and Downtown Newark and Clinton Hill each come in at D+. These five areas account for the bulk of the city's elevated crime burden.

How Crime Grades Distribute Across the City

Breaking down all 24 neighborhoods, 16.7% earned an A grade and 29.2% a B — together forming that 46% safe majority. The largest single cluster, 33.3%, sits at C, representing neighborhoods that are neither particularly dangerous nor particularly safe. Below that, 16.7% scored D and 4.2% received an F. What this distribution tells you is that Newark's crime problem is concentrated rather than dispersed. A majority of the city's neighborhoods function at an average-to-good level; the serious risk is geographically specific, not city-wide.

Property Crime vs. Violent Crime Patterns

Newark's crime profile reflects patterns common to densely populated cities with elevated poverty rates — the city's poverty rate stands at 26.3% and unemployment at 10.6%, both well above national averages. Property crime, including theft and burglary, tends to be more widespread and affects a broader range of neighborhoods, including some that otherwise score well. Violent crime — assaults and robberies in particular — is more concentrated in the lower-graded neighborhoods like Dayton, Springfield/Belmont, and Lincoln Park. The population density of 4,508 people per square mile amplifies both categories, as higher foot traffic and closer proximity to distressed areas increases exposure risk even in transitional neighborhoods.

How the Crime Map Supports Real Decisions

For Newark residents and prospective newcomers, the interactive crime map on this page is a practical decision-making tool, not just a data display. Commuters traveling through Downtown Newark (Grade D+) or near Lincoln Park (Grade D-) can use the map to identify time-of-day crime patterns and adjust their routes accordingly. Home buyers evaluating a median home value of $254,695 against neighborhood safety grades can quickly compare Ironbound's A- rating with the D-range grades nearby and understand what they are actually buying into. Renters weighing the city's median rent of $1,116 against safety can use neighborhood-level grades to assess whether a lower-priced unit in a C- or D-rated area represents a real trade-off. The map turns raw crime data into spatially grounded context — which is the only kind that actually helps people make better choices about where to live, work, and move through Newark.