Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Clayton grades B overall, ranked 255th of 466 in New Jersey, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It has 7 miles of trail and 36% conserved land and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, its schools rank behind 76% of the state's. 36% of the land in Clayton is conserved, above both New Jersey’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). On cost of living, just 43 of New Jersey’s 530 towns do better. Clayton is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns.
Where Clayton beats most towns.
Where Clayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Clayton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,490 in 1860, a low of 1,905 in 1920, 8,807 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 6 maps from 1890 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clayton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw18 mi Park & preservePine Barrens
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw20 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw22 mi MuseumEastern State PenitentiaryUSS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clayton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Clayton.
Clayton carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of New Jersey (mostly inland flooding), keeps more of its land conserved than most of New Jersey and is safe by national standards but not by New Jersey’s.
Its 1,663 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 91% of New Jersey towns.
7.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. At 1.0 miles per square mile, Clayton’s trail density is above both the New Jersey town median (0.7) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Glassboro Wildlife Management Area, 964 acres with 4.3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Glassboro Wildlife Management Area | 4.3 mi | 964 |
| 2. Scotland Run Park | 1.6 mi | 568 |
| 3. Autumn Pasquale Memorial Park | 0.5 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Clayton Public School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Clayton High School, with 431 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herma S. Simmons Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 715 | C− |
| Clayton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 431 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation
The typical Clayton home is worth about $330,000, up 1.1% in a year, 43% below the New Jersey typical home. Clayton’s median rent is $1,246 a month.
| Clayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,246 a month | $1,780 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 77% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 94% of New Jersey towns, with expected losses of about $173 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Clayton is 14 of 100. Since 1980, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clayton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Clayton for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Clayton has added 199 jobs, to 1,303 in 2023. The top destinations are Philadelphia (6%), Washington Township (6%) and Vineland (4%).
| Clayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 11.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 56% of New Jersey’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 7 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Clayton has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within New Jersey it is less healthy than 79% of the 468 graded towns: New Jersey sets a high bar.
Clayton beats the New Jersey average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Clayton.
| Clayton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Clayton | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.3% | 11.3% |
| More adults with depression | 18.7% | 15.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Clayton
About 8 of every 100 Clayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
Borough in New Jersey, United States
Clayton is a borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,807, an increase of 628 (+7.7%) from the 2010 census count of 8,179, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,040 (+14.6%) from the 7,139 counted in the 2000 census. Jacob Fisler purchased much of the area that is now Clayton, acquiring 6,500 acres (2,600 ha) of land after the American Revolutionary War. A settlement named Fislertown developed and grew to 36 families by 1812. A glass factory was established in Clayton in the 1850s by one of Fisler's descendants, which contributed to Fislertown's growth. What is now Clayton was formed as Clayton Township o…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Clayton.
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton | #255 | B | C | B+ | C− | B |
| Elk Township | #194 | B+ | B− | A− | C | A− |
| Glassboro | #337 | C+ | D | B− | C− | A− |
| Franklin Township | #353 | C | C− | B | C− | B |
| Monroe Township | #281 | B− | C− | B | C+ | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Clayton grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #255 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
2 notable people were born here, including Earl C. Long and Thomas James Ferrell.
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