What it's like to live in Dover
Dover is a small city in New Jersey with crime rates well below the national average and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dover deals with rent well above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Dover compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dover
Based on Dover's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,650
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,000 a year
- 59% of Dover renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$73,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,670
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 29% above US
$1,825/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,825 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $366,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $366,700 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Morris County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Morris County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 74% below US
84 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 568/100k · Dover Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 52% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Morristown National Historical Park (8 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dover's strongest point is crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,825/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Dover
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