Making a living in Brookdale
The trip to work takes 35 minutes on average; New Jersey averages 31, the U.S. 26. Only 2% stay in Brookdale for work; outside it, New York City is the main destination (22%, 17 miles). For 24% of workers, the job is at home (New Jersey 17%).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The daily flow of workers through Brookdale
On a workday 5,070 residents head out to work, 111 work right here, and 3,122 people come in from elsewhere.
About 8,000 people are in Brookdale on a workday afternoon, 20% fewer than live here.
0.62 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Out of Brookdale to work: where people go
Where Brookdale clocks in
22% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
70% of the jobs in Brookdale pay over $3,333 a month
3,233 jobs are based in Brookdale.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Brookdale, 2013 → 2023: 3,695 → 3,233. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Brookdale’s own residents hold wherever they work.
The trip to work from Brookdale: about 35 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 11.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Brookdale workers work from home, vs 17% across New Jersey. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 4,015 commuters (the 24% who work from home are left out). Across New Jersey: 75% drive alone, 10% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
How far it is to work from Brookdale
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Next door to Brookdale
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Brookdale workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale | – | — | — | 35 min | $161,779 |
| Nutley Township | under 2% | A− | A+ | 31 min | $119,734 |
| Glen Ridge | under 2% | A | A+ | 36 min | $250,000+ |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Brookdale’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Brookdale: questions
What is the median household income in Brookdale?
$161,779 (±$15,556) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $103,556 across New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Brookdale?
3.8%, against 9.7% across New Jersey and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Brookdale?
35 minutes each way on average, against 31 across New Jersey and 26 nationally. 24% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Brookdale work?
2% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are New York City (22%, 17 mi), Bloomfield Township (7%, 2 mi), Newark (6%, 8 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Brookdale without a car?
20% of commuters take transit and 6% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Brookdale, from the people who make the trip.
More of Brookdale
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.