What it's like to live in Pleasantville
Pleasantville is a small city in New Jersey with home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, air quality that stays clean most of the year, 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. Pleasantville deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Pleasantville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pleasantville
Based on Pleasantville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,708
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,160 a year
- 57% of Pleasantville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$38,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,410
- 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
$1,354/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,354 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $194,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $194,100 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
6.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Atlantic County is 6.7%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Atlantic County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 10% below US
295 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1395/100k · Pleasantville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% take public transit; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°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▼ 69% below US
11% 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 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 Great Egg Harbor River (9 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pleasantville's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,354/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
See all the data for Pleasantville →·All New Jersey cities →
Other places near Pleasantville
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Compare with Pleasantville →Moving to Somers Point →
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Compare with Pleasantville →Moving to McKee City →
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Compare with Pleasantville →Moving to Ocean City →
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