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Hackettstown.

All Hackettstown data Compare Hackettstown

10,140people live here $93,083median household income▲ 15% above US $1,469median rent per monthNear US average $361,600median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Hackettstown

Hackettstown is a small city in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, 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. Hackettstown deals with commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Above-average commute times
Cold winters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Hackettstown compares

Median household income

Hackettstown$93,083

New Jersey avg$103,556

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Hackettstown$1,469

New Jersey avg$1,720

US$1,413

Median home value

Hackettstown$361,600

New Jersey avg$454,400

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Hackettstown

Based on Hackettstown's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,938

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,760 a year
45% of Hackettstown renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$72,320

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $36,160
Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,469/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,469 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $361,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $361,600 · 45% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.0% county unemployment

Unemployment in Warren County is 5.0%, 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.

Warren County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 88% below US

39 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 423/100k · Hackettstown Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 18% above US

31 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Work from home

13%

Carpool

7.4%

Walk

4.3%

Other

3.4%

Public transit

1.1%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforceNear US average

38% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, 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 (16 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Hackettstown's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,469/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime.

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