Photo: Doc Searls · CC BY 2.0At 6.2%, unemployment in North Bergen Township is higher than in 76% of U.S. towns
A typical one-way commute lasts 33 minutes, against 31 across New Jersey and 26 nationally. The two grades for North Bergen Township are B for jobs and income and A+ for walkability. About one in ten work in North Bergen Township; the top destination outside it is New York City (26%, 10 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The work figures that set North Bergen Township apart
A lot of North Bergen Township workers cross into New York
22% of North Bergen Township workers work outside New Jersey, most of them in New York, the Census survey finds. The commute map ↓
Many of the people who work in North Bergen Township live in another state
13% of the jobs in North Bergen Township are held by people who live in New York City, NY, one of the top places its workers come from. The commute map ↓
North Bergen Township and New York City trade workers both ways
New York City is the top workplace for North Bergen Township residents (26%) and also where the most people who work in North Bergen Township come from (13% of its jobs). The commute map ↓
Short distances, slow trips
Half of North Bergen Township’s working residents have a job less than 9 miles away, yet the average commute still takes 33 minutes, longer than the New Jersey average of 31. Time on the road ↓
Most North Bergen Township residents work close to home
63% of working residents have their main job less than 10 miles from home. Only 4% work more than 50 miles away. How far ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
North Bergen Township’s Jobs & income grade, measure by measure
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, North Bergen Township is better than 57% of U.S. towns, #375 of 468 in New Jersey. Job access by car holds North Bergen Township’s grade up (among the top U.S. towns); unemployment pulls it down. It also does well on household income.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, North Bergen Township could be anywhere from B− to B+.
The places North Bergen Township commutes to
Where North Bergen Township clocks in
26% of workers
6% of workers
4% 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.
Each way, about 33 minutes from North Bergen Township
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 10.6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of North Bergen Township workers work from home, vs 17% across New Jersey. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 27,235 commuters (the 11% 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.
Miles to work from North Bergen Township
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2024.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
How a workday changes North Bergen Township
On a workday 22,859 residents head out to work, 2,374 work right here, and 16,194 people come in from elsewhere.
About 55,000 people are in North Bergen Township on a workday afternoon, 11% fewer than live here.
0.74 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 2024, primary jobs.
Jobs in North Bergen Township: what the 18,568 are
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in North Bergen Township, 2014 → 2024: 16,365 → 18,568. 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 2024.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs North Bergen Township’s own residents hold wherever they work.
North Bergen Township is among the most walkable U.S. towns
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, North Bergen Township is among the most walkable U.S. towns, #10 of 468 in New Jersey. Both inputs place North Bergen Township near the same point nationally.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 30,747 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). Nearly all residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 82% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 37.0 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, among the most of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 20.7% of North Bergen Township households have no vehicle (New Jersey 11.1%, U.S. 8.4%). 24% of North Bergen Township’s commuters take a bus or train.
Ranked on jobs and income, North Bergen Township is 450th among 720 U.S. towns of 43,000 to 83,000
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLean VA | 49,627 | $250K | 2.9% | 2.3% | 6% | A+ |
| 2 | Lakeville MN | 79,270 | $139K | 2.9% | 2.0% | 11% | A+ |
| 3 | Fulshear TX | 64,630 | $187K | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 31 | Bridgewater Township NJ | 46,455 | $173K | 4.1% | 3.7% | 10% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 58 | Wayne Township NJ | 54,819 | $153K | 3.4% | 4.9% | 11% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 61 | Mount Laurel Township NJ | 47,738 | $119K | 4.1% | 3.9% | 12% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 448 | Mableton GA | 78,820 | $78K | 13.5% | 4.9% | 6% | B |
| 449 | Lakewood OH | 49,027 | $69K | 10.3% | 5.0% | 9% | B |
| 450 | North Bergen Township NJ | 61,483 | $79K | 12.3% | 6.2% | 9% | B |
| 451 | Berwyn IL | 55,001 | $78K | 10.9% | 6.9% | 6% | B |
| 452 | Hollister CA | 45,695 | $112K | 7.9% | 5.6% | 23% | B |
| … | |||||||
| 720 | Bullhead City AZ | 43,987 | $51K | 18.7% | 11.5% | 25% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of North Bergen Township, the top three, the last and three more from New Jersey.
16% of North Bergen Township works in a bordering town
The biggest share goes to Jersey City (6%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | North Bergen Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Bergen Township | – | B | A+ | 33 min | $78,911 |
| Ridgefield | under 2% | A | A+ | 32 min | $118,059 |
| Secaucus | 3% | A | A+ | 33 min | $139,821 |
| Fairview | under 2% | C | A+ | 31 min | $63,606 |
| Union City | 4% | C | A+ | 33 min | $64,310 |
| Guttenberg | under 2% | B− | A+ | 39 min | $75,683 |
| West New York | 3% | C+ | A+ | 35 min | $71,729 |
| Carlstadt | under 2% | B+ | A+ | 25 min | $115,444 |
| Edgewater | under 2% | B+ | A+ | 38 min | $124,050 |
| Jersey City | 6% | B | A+ | 37 min | $97,710 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of North Bergen Township’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 2024, 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 North Bergen Township: questions
What is the median household income in North Bergen Township?
$78,911 (±$5,140) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $103,556 across New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in North Bergen Township?
12.3%, against 9.7% across New Jersey and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from North Bergen Township?
33 minutes each way on average, against 31 across New Jersey and 26 nationally. 11% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in North Bergen Township work?
9% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are New York City (26%, 10 mi), Jersey City (6%, 6 mi), Union City (4%, 2 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Is North Bergen Township walkable?
North Bergen Township is among the most walkable U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 14.7 out of 20, and 31% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around North Bergen Township without a car?
24% of commuters take transit and 21% of households have no car. 82% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from North Bergen Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of North Bergen Township
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2024, 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. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.