County safety report
Essex County Crime & Safety Report
FBI UCR violent crime, property crime, total crime rate, and safety score for Essex County, New Jersey.
Primary safety signal
26
out of 100, higher means lower reported crime
Rating
Elevated Reported Crime
Total crime
1823.7
State rank
#13
Violent crime
296.7
per 100K residents
Near national average
Property crime
1527.0
per 100K residents
Near national average
Total crime
1823.7
per 100K residents
Near national average
State rank
#13
of 21 scored counties
1 = safest in state
Crime Statistics
Safety score
26
Elevated Reported Crime
Higher scores indicate lower reported county-level crime.
Total crime rate
FBI UCR incidents per 100,000 residents, compared with the national benchmark.
1823.7
Near national average
National total crime benchmark: 2335.1 per 100K
Violent crime
296.7
National avg 380.7
Property crime
1527.0
National avg 1954.4
State rank
#13
of 21 counties, 1 = safest
State average safety score: 40/100. State average total crime rate: 1526.0 per 100K.
Local interpretation
What the crime data means for Essex County
These reads compare Essex County with New Jersey county averages and national FBI UCR benchmarks. They are county-level signals, not neighborhood-level guarantees.
Safety score
26/100
14 points below the New Jersey county average
State rank
#13
of 21 scored New Jersey counties, where #1 is safest
Safer than
38%
of scored counties in New Jersey by safety score
Reporting
Partial
29 agencies in the current record
Benchmark table
Rates are incidents per 100,000 residents.
| Metric | Essex County | New Jersey avg | U.S. benchmark | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total crime | 1823.7 | 1526.0 | 2335.1 | 22% below national benchmark. |
| Violent crime | 296.7 | 199.0 | 380.7 | 22% below national benchmark. |
| Property crime | 1527.0 | 1327.0 | 1954.4 | 22% below national benchmark. |
Crime mix
Property crime drives the profile
Property crime accounts for the larger reported rate at 1527.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 296.7 for violent crime.
Reporting quality
Partial reporting coverage
Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county.
29 reporting agencies are represented for 2022. Use the rates as a directional county benchmark and verify city-level police data before making a decision.
How to use this county report
Verify neighborhood property risk
County-level property crime is not a block-level measure. Check city or sheriff incident maps for the specific address area.
Read violent crime as a county benchmark
The violent-crime rate is useful for county comparison, but it does not replace neighborhood-level data or recent local incident trends.
Compare against nearby New Jersey counties
The county sits above the state county average on total reported crime, so peer counties can reveal whether this is a regional pattern or a local outlier.
Account for reporting limits
Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the reported crime rate in Essex County, NJ?
How does Essex County compare with the New Jersey average?
How does Essex County compare with the national benchmark?
What does the safety score mean for Essex County?
Is violent crime or property crime the larger signal in Essex County?
What does partial FBI coverage mean for Essex County?
Counties with Similar Safety Profile
Data Sources
Crime data sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR) and County Health Rankings. Safety scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Not legal or security advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.