William Carlos Williams House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0Households in Rutherford have higher incomes than those in 94% of U.S. towns
Only 6% stay in Rutherford for work; outside it, New York City is the main destination (25%, 14 miles). Poverty touches 5.5% of residents, next to 9.7% for New Jersey as a whole. The two grades for Rutherford are A for jobs and income and A+ for walkability.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Work and commuting in Rutherford, in brief
Rutherford trades workers with the towns around it
Rutherford has about as many jobs (9,009) as working residents (9,310), but they are mostly different people: 8,753 residents leave for work each day while 8,452 people come in. Only 6% of the jobs in Rutherford are held by people who live here. Day and night ↓
Rutherford draws workers from far and wide
The 9,009 jobs in Rutherford are filled from a wide area. Rutherford’s own residents hold 6% and the ten next-biggest home towns 27%; the other 67% come from many towns beyond those. The commute map ↓
A longer commute than the towns next door
Rutherford averages 34 minutes each way, more than any bordering town (25 to 29 minutes). Next door ↓
A lot of Rutherford workers cross into New York
18% of Rutherford workers work outside New Jersey, the Census survey finds. In the commute data, New York City (25%) is one of the top workplaces. The commute map ↓
Rutherford has added jobs fast
Jobs based in Rutherford went from 6,672 in 2013 to 9,009 in 2023, +35%. The jobs ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; a jump in jobs can partly be a big employer changing how it reports its locations.
Inside Rutherford’s Jobs & income grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Rutherford is better than 92% of U.S. towns, #97 of 468 in New Jersey. Job access by car is its strongest input (among the top U.S. towns); unemployment ranks lowest, though still above most U.S. towns (4.2%, U.S. 5.2%). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate and unemployment.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Rutherford could be anywhere from A− to A+.
How a workday changes Rutherford
On a workday 8,753 residents head out to work, 557 work right here, and 8,452 people come in from elsewhere.
About as many people by day as by night: the people who leave are replaced by the people who come in.
About as many jobs as working residents (0.97 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
The towns that employ Rutherford’s residents
Where Rutherford clocks in
25% of workers
4% 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.
65% of the jobs in Rutherford pay over $3,333 a month
9,009 jobs are based in Rutherford.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Rutherford, 2013 → 2023: 6,672 → 9,009. 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 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Rutherford’s own residents hold wherever they work.
The trip to work from Rutherford: about 34 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 10.8 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Rutherford workers work from home, vs 17% across New Jersey. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 7,812 commuters (the 23% 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 Rutherford
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Rutherford is among the most walkable U.S. towns
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, Rutherford is among the most walkable U.S. towns, #19 of 468 in New Jersey. Both inputs place Rutherford 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 10,182 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, 60% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 11.9 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 95% 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). 5.4% of Rutherford households have no vehicle (New Jersey 11.1%, U.S. 8.4%). 22% of Rutherford’s commuters take a bus or train.
Rutherford next to U.S. towns of 13,000 to 26,000: 280th of 2,023 on jobs and income
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plain Township OH | 13,257 | $219K | 2.1% | 0.8% | 10% | A+ |
| 2 | Rogers MN | 15,606 | $159K | 1.9% | 1.2% | 10% | A+ |
| 3 | Trophy Club TX | 13,695 | $201K | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 19 | Hanover Township NJ | 15,105 | $157K | 3.2% | 2.6% | 9% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 33 | Berkeley Heights Township NJ | 15,140 | $205K | 1.9% | 3.3% | 6% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 37 | Scotch Plains Township NJ | 25,437 | $184K | 2.5% | 3.2% | 7% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 278 | Pelham NH | 14,828 | $136K | 3.7% | 3.5% | 7% | A |
| 279 | Warwick Township PA | 19,533 | $104K | 4.9% | 2.2% | 8% | A |
| 280 | Rutherford NJ | 19,132 | $143K | 5.5% | 4.2% | 6% | A |
| 281 | Ridgefield CT | 25,373 | $179K | 3.5% | 3.9% | 20% | A |
| 282 | Southbury CT | 20,468 | $113K | 3.4% | 3.0% | 12% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 2,023 | Douglas AZ | 16,038 | $42K | 27.8% | 12.3% | 29% | 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 Rutherford, the top three, the last and three more from New Jersey.
Rutherford and the towns next door
The biggest share goes to Lyndhurst Township (2%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Rutherford workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford | – | A | A+ | 34 min | $143,153 |
| Lyndhurst Township | 2% | A− | A+ | 29 min | $111,711 |
| East Rutherford | 2% | A− | A+ | 28 min | $97,993 |
| Passaic | under 2% | C | A+ | 25 min | $55,371 |
| Clifton | 2% | B+ | A+ | 28 min | $98,237 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Rutherford’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 2023, 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 Rutherford: questions
What is the median household income in Rutherford?
$143,153 (±$13,176) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $103,556 across New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Rutherford?
5.5%, against 9.7% across New Jersey and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Rutherford?
34 minutes each way on average, against 31 across New Jersey and 26 nationally. 23% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Rutherford work?
6% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are New York City (25%, 14 mi), Jersey City (4%, 8 mi), Newark (4%, 8 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Rutherford walkable?
Rutherford is among the most walkable U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 14.6 out of 20, and 26% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Rutherford without a car?
22% of commuters take transit and 5% of households have no car. 60% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Rutherford, from the people who make the trip.
More of Rutherford
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, 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.