Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Newton grades C overall, ranked 362nd of 466 in New Jersey, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. 14% of its land is conserved. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $445K, 4.5 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. On history, just 23 of New Jersey’s 530 towns do better. 14% of the land in Newton is conserved, above both the New Jersey town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Newton is home to Sussex County Community College.
Where Newton beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Newton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,824 in 1860, 8,374 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1785 and 3 maps from 1891 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Newton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
38 mi Stadium & arenaSports Illustrated Stadium
38 mi Stadium & arenaPrudential Center
11 mi LakeLake Musconetcong
26 mi GardenDrew University
39 mi Stadium & arenaMeadowlands ArenaMetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Sports Illustrated Stadium: Sam Szapucki, CC BY 2.0 · Prudential Center: Jim.henderson, Public domain · Lake Musconetcong: Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Drew University: CUBJONES83 (talk), Public domain · Meadowlands Arena: Heath Brandon, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Newton, 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 Newton.
Newton has added half again as many jobs in ten years, is safe by national standards but not by New Jersey’s and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in New Jersey.
2.3 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Paulinskill River Wildlife Management Area, at 110 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Paulinskill River Wildlife Management Area | — | 110 |
| 2. Memory Park | 0.1 mi | 35 |
| 3. Pine Street Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Newton Public School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merriam Avenue SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 483 | C− |
| Newton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 680 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
59% of Newton households own their home, against 77% in New Jersey’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The median rent in Newton is $1,442 a month. The typical Newton home is worth about $445,000, up 2% in a year, 23% below the New Jersey typical home.
| Newton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,442 a month | $1,780 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Newton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Newton’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 13.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 53% of New Jersey’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Jobs based here grew from 3,252 in 2013 to 5,707.
Most working residents leave Newton for work: only 14% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Newton. Jobs based in Newton grew to 5,707 in 2023, 2,455 more than in 2013.
| Newton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within New Jersey it is less healthy than 85% of the 468 graded towns: New Jersey sets a high bar.
Newton beats the New Jersey average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 19% of Newton adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Newton | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Newton | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 5.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.8% | 9.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.3% | 5.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Newton
About 6 of every 100 Newton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Jersey.
4 places in Newton on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Newton.
Town in Sussex County, New Jersey, US
Newton, officially the Town of Newton, is an incorporated municipality in and the county seat of Sussex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated approximately 60 miles (97 km) northwest of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,374, its highest decennial population ever, an increase of 377 (+4.7%) from the 2010 census count of 7,997, which in turn reflected a decrease of 247 (−3.0%) from the 8,244 counted in the 2000 census. One of 15 municipalities in the state organized as a town, the municipal government operates under a council-manager structure provided by the Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law. Newton was incorporated by an…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Newton.
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | #362 | C | C− | B | C+ | B |
| Fredon Township | #166 | A− | B− | — | B− | A− |
| Andover Township | #107 | A | C− | A+ | B+ | A |
Fredon Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Newton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Newton grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #362 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades B for health, B for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
17 notable people were born here, including Janeane Garofalo and Ardolph L. Kline.
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