© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Moving to
Oak Ridge.
Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge 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. Oak Ridge deals with home prices well above the national average, long average commutes, cold winters, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Long commutes
- Cold winters
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Oak Ridge compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oak Ridge
Based on Oak Ridge's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,744
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,880 a year
- 44% of Oak Ridge renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$87,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $43,610
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,372/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,372 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 $436,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $436,100 · 44% 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
80 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Oak Ridge doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the West Milford 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 268/100k · Policed by West Milford Township Police Department (township-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 61% above US
42 min average commute
Commutes run long, averaging 41.9 minutes, and that's just the average, meaning a lot of people are doing significantly more. This isn't a city where living far from the office is a comfortable bet. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% 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▲ 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (18 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Oak Ridge's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and long average commutes. A year of median rent ($1,372/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Oak Ridge
All New Jersey guides →Moving to Lake Hopatcong →
10 mi away · pop. 10,259
Rent $1,686/mo · Income $117,625
Compare with Oak Ridge →Moving to Pompton Lakes →
11 mi away · pop. 11,047
Rent $1,845/mo · Income $124,454
Compare with Oak Ridge →Moving to Hopatcong →
11 mi away · pop. 14,565
Rent $1,777/mo · Income $115,758
Compare with Oak Ridge →Not sure Oak Ridge is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.