What it's like to live in Glassboro
Glassboro is a small city in New Jersey with crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, a growing population, 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. Glassboro deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
How Glassboro compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Glassboro
Based on Glassboro's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,374
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,480 a year
- 48% of Glassboro renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$62,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,440
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 19% above US
$1,687/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,687 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $314,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $314,400 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Gloucester County is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Gloucester County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 35% below US
216 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1428/100k · Glassboro Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 19% above US
43% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 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 Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site (16 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Glassboro's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,687/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Glassboro
All New Jersey guides →Moving to Williamstown →
6 mi away · pop. 14,705
Rent $1,266/mo · Income $89,414
Compare with Glassboro →Moving to Sicklerville →
8 mi away · pop. 44,998
Rent $1,566/mo · Income $105,602
Compare with Glassboro →Not sure Glassboro is the one?
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