Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Rockaway grades A overall, ranked 102nd of 466 in New Jersey. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 95% of U.S. towns. Residents are healthier than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $107K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $448K for a typical one and 4.5 times the New York metro’s $99K median household income. Rockaway is more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns. Joseph Jackson House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Rockaway’s median age is 47.1 years, above both the New Jersey town median (42 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years).
Where Rockaway beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Jersey), ordered by how far Rockaway is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,483 in 1900, 6,598 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 8 maps from 1888 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rockaway. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw30 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw29 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw30 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year
Big draw29 mi MuseumNational September 11 Memorial & MuseumMadison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · National September 11 Memorial & Museum: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockaway, 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 Rockaway.
Rockaway trades workers with Parsippany-Troy Hills Township and other neighbors, has seen reported crime fall by about half and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Jersey.
Reported crimes fell from 32 to 14 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Rockaway is 2.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Rockaway | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Morris Hills Regional School District. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Morris Hills High School, with 1,140 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 299 | B |
| Morris Hills High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,140 | B+ |
| Academy for Mathematics Science and EngineeringTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 181 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NJ on state tests and graduation
Within New Jersey it is healthier than 50% of the 468 graded towns: New Jersey sets a high bar.
26% of adults have obesity in Rockaway. Rockaway beats the New Jersey average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 16% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Rockaway.
| Rockaway | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 28% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Rockaway | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.5% | 14.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 12.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 73 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rockaway.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Rockaway has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Rockaway’s July high is 84°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (40% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). 38% of Rockaway adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Rockaway | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 45% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across New Jersey, 50.8% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 68% are men (NJ 47%).
| Rockaway | NJ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.3% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.9% | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.9% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 15% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.4% | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.2% | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.1% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Rockaway has about as many jobs (3,118) as working residents, but only 165 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 23.9 minutes, against 30.5 across New Jersey.
Most working residents leave Rockaway for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Rockaway has lost 670 jobs, to 3,118 in 2023. The top destinations are Parsippany-Troy Hills Township (6%), Rockaway Township (5%) and Denville Township (5%).
| Rockaway | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median sale price was $525,000 in May 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7 within 15 miles of the center of Rockaway
About 3 of every 100 Rockaway residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
4 notable people were born in Rockaway.
Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, US
Rockaway is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,598, an increase of 160 (+2.5%) from the 2010 census count of 6,438, which was a decline of 35 (−0.5%) from the 6,473 in the 2000 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Rockaway.
| Town | NJ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockaway | #102 | A | C− | A+ | B | A |
| Rockaway Township | #162 | A− | D | B+ | B+ | A |
| Denville Township | #12 | A+ | C− | A+ | A− | A+ |
| White Meadow Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
White Meadow Lake isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rockaway with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Rockaway grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #102 of 466 in New Jersey. It grades A for health, A+ for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $448,000, 22% below the New Jersey typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
4 notable people were born here, including Frank Joseph Rodimer and Bruce Bannon.
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