© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Moving to
Lake Hopatcong.
Lake Hopatcong is an unincorporated community in Morris County, NJ. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Lake Hopatcong
Lake Hopatcong is an unincorporated community in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Lake Hopatcong deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
How Lake Hopatcong compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lake Hopatcong
Based on Lake Hopatcong's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,372
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,440 a year
- 46% of Lake Hopatcong renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,420
- 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
$1,686/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,686 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 $424,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $424,200 · 46% 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
19 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Lake Hopatcong doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Jefferson Township Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 150/100k · Policed by Jefferson Township Police Department (township-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 23% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.9 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; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
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
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 29% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 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 (13 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lake Hopatcong's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,686/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals.
See all the data for Lake Hopatcong →·All New Jersey cities →
Other places near Lake Hopatcong
All New Jersey guides →Moving to Hopatcong →
2 mi away · pop. 14,565
Rent $1,777/mo · Income $115,758
Compare with Lake Hopatcong →Moving to Dover →
5 mi away · pop. 18,563
Rent $1,825/mo · Income $73,737
Compare with Lake Hopatcong →Moving to Budd Lake →
8 mi away · pop. 10,650
Rent $1,402/mo · Income $114,154
Compare with Lake Hopatcong →Moving to Oak Ridge →
10 mi away · pop. 10,954
Rent $1,372/mo · Income $121,875
Compare with Lake Hopatcong →Not sure Lake Hopatcong is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.