Photo: EdZa · CC BY-SA 2.0North Caldwell has no public library of its own; the nearest is Caldwell Free Public Library in Caldwell, 1.8 miles away
North Caldwell doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Caldwell Free Public Library in Caldwell, 1.8 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
B−Civic lifeAhead of 48% of U.S. towns · #214 of 466 in New Jersey. Nonprofits and volunteering.Libraries for North Caldwell, in brief
North Caldwell borrows from the libraries next door
North Caldwell has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Caldwell Free Public Library in Caldwell (1.8 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
The closest isn’t the one open longest
Caldwell Free Public Library is nearest, open about 44 hours a week. West Caldwell Public Library, 2 miles away, is open about 57 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. Nearest libraries ↓
The nearby libraries are all fine-free
None of the four closest libraries charges late fines. Nearest libraries ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What’s behind North Caldwell’s civic life grade
On community nonprofits and volunteering, North Caldwell is ahead of 48% of U.S. towns, #214 of 466 in New Jersey. North Caldwell is graded on two of the three inputs. North Caldwell’s count of community nonprofits holds the grade up; the share of younger adults in volunteering groups pulls it down.
Civic life counts registered nonprofits, library visits and online volunteering groups, so it can miss civic life that runs through congregations, mutual aid or neighbors looking out for each other.
Library visits: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024. Nonprofits: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026. Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. How TownRatings grades civic life →
28 community nonprofits are registered in North Caldwell
4.1 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: education.
Community nonprofits, by kind
Counted from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations by mailing address (fractions where a ZIP code spans towns). Congregations are counted apart (4 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
7.0%
7.0% of North Caldwell’s Facebook users aged 25–44 belong to a volunteering or activism group, against 7.2% in the typical New Jersey town and 7.5% nationally.
Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. ZIP-code figures, weighted by where North Caldwell’s residents live; 2022.
The closest is 1.8 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of North Caldwell. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
Libraries next door
Who has a library of their own, and how much each town borrows. Tap a town to see its library.
| Town | Library | Loans per resident | Hours | Civic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Caldwell Township | West Caldwell Public Library fine-free | 10.3 | 57 | A− |
| Verona Township | Verona Free Public Library fine-free | 7.8 | 51 | A |
| Cedar Grove Township | Cedar Grove Free Public Library fine-free | 6.9 | 50 | C+ |
| Little Falls Township | Little Falls Public Library fine-free | 5.5 | 52 | C− |
| Caldwell | Caldwell Free Public Library fine-free | 4.3 | 44 | C |
| Fairfield Township | Fairfield Free Public Library | 4.2 | 60 | B− |
| Singac | None of its own | — | — | — graded as part of its town |
Loans = print + digital items borrowed in the library’s fiscal year, per person it serves. — = no library of its own, a county or regional system (its numbers cover many towns), or no report. Civic life: — = not graded (unincorporated places, whose nonprofits can’t be placed by mailing address, or towns with fewer than two of the three inputs).
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- The library’s own count. Libraries report their own visits, loans and programs. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Hours are the survey’s yearly average; libraries are compared with others serving about as many people. How TownRatings uses library figures →
Questions about the library and civic life in North Caldwell
Does North Caldwell have a public library?
No. The closest is Caldwell Free Public Library in Caldwell, 1.8 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is North Caldwell’s civic life grade?
B− North Caldwell is ahead of 48% of U.S. towns on civic life, #214 of 466 in New Jersey. The grade combines library visits per resident, community nonprofits per 1,000 residents and the share of adults 25–44 in volunteering groups. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in North Caldwell.
Libraries: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Each library reports its own numbers. Distances are straight-line from the town center. “What your card is worth” uses typical retail prices and is an estimate, not an official figure.