Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0Household incomes in West Caldwell Township top those of 96% of U.S. towns
3.6% of residents are in poverty, against 9.7% across New Jersey. For jobs and income West Caldwell Township is better than 96% of U.S. towns (A+); for walkability it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns (A−). Transit is limited for a town this walkable: about 4.0 trips an hour stop near the typical resident at the evening peak, against 43.7 in Jersey City.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Getting to work from West Caldwell Township, in brief
West Caldwell Township draws workers from far and wide
The 7,361 jobs in West Caldwell Township are filled from a wide area. West Caldwell Township’s own residents hold 5% and the ten next-biggest home towns 27%; the other 68% come from many towns beyond those. The commute map ↓
West Caldwell Township’s biggest commute is a long one
The top workplace outside West Caldwell Township is New York City, NY, 23 miles away as the crow flies. 13% of working residents (766) make that trip; no town closer to home draws more of them. How far ↓
Three in four West Caldwell Township workers earn over $40,000 a year
77% of West Caldwell Township’s working residents earn over $3,333 a month (about $40,000 a year) at their main job, the top earnings band in the Census data. The jobs ↓
Commutes from West Caldwell Township are quick
The average trip to work takes 26 minutes, against 31 across New Jersey. That’s about 38 hours a year less on the road than the typical New Jersey worker. Time on the road ↓
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.
How West Caldwell Township earns its Jobs & income grade
Job access by car is its strongest input (among the top U.S. towns); unemployment ranks lowest, though still above most U.S. towns (3.9%, 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, West Caldwell Township could be anywhere from A to A+.
13% of working residents work in New York City
Where West Caldwell Township clocks in
13% of workers
6% 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.
Where in the region West Caldwell Township works
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.
67% of the jobs in West Caldwell Township pay over $3,333 a month
7,361 jobs are based in West Caldwell Township.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in West Caldwell Township, 2014 → 2024: 8,610 → 7,361. 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 West Caldwell Township’s own residents hold wherever they work.
About 26 minutes to work from West Caldwell Township
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 8.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of West Caldwell Township workers work from home, vs 17% across New Jersey. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 4,886 commuters (the 15% 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.
Who commutes out of West Caldwell Township, and who commutes in
On a workday 5,595 residents head out to work, 355 work right here, and 7,006 people come in from elsewhere.
About 13,000 people are in West Caldwell Township on a workday afternoon, 13% more than live here.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.24 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
West Caldwell Township is easy on foot, hard by bus
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 5,734 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 52% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 14% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 4.0 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 80% 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). 6.6% of West Caldwell Township households have no vehicle (New Jersey 11.1%, U.S. 8.4%). 3% of West Caldwell Township’s commuters take a bus or train.
For jobs and income, West Caldwell Township is 160th of 2,507 U.S. towns of 8,000 to 15,000
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Peres MO | 9,102 | $224K | 2.0% | 0.5% | 5% | A+ |
| 2 | Beverly Hills MI | 10,449 | $177K | 1.7% | 1.6% | 3% | A+ |
| 3 | Ladue MO | 8,934 | $250K | 1.1% | 1.7% | 5% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 8 | Waldwick NJ | 10,252 | $178K | 1.4% | 2.2% | 7% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 20 | Fanwood NJ | 8,035 | $196K | 1.0% | 2.7% | 2% | A+ |
| 21 | Oradell NJ | 8,293 | $221K | 3.6% | 2.3% | 4% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 158 | Oakbrook KY | 10,211 | $95K | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1% | A+ |
| 159 | Columbia IL | 10,865 | $108K | 5.4% | 1.4% | 13% | A+ |
| 160 | West Caldwell Township NJ | 11,205 | $158K | 3.6% | 3.9% | 6% | A+ |
| 161 | Scituate RI | 10,767 | $112K | 5.0% | 1.0% | 7% | A+ |
| 162 | New Baltimore VA | 11,919 | $189K | 4.1% | 1.9% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 2,507 | Roma TX | 11,543 | $25K | 37.1% | 12.4% | 19% | 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 West Caldwell Township, the top three, the last and three more from New Jersey.
Around West Caldwell Township: the bordering towns
The biggest share goes to Fairfield Township (4%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | West Caldwell Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Caldwell Township | – | A+ | A− | 26 min | $158,467 |
| Caldwell | 2% | A− | A+ | 30 min | $96,824 |
| East Hanover Township | under 2% | A+ | B+ | 25 min | $149,583 |
| Essex Fells | under 2% | A | A | 31 min | $250,000+ |
| Roseland | under 2% | A | A | 33 min | $164,458 |
| North Caldwell | under 2% | A | A− | 30 min | $208,245 |
| Fairfield Township | 4% | B+ | A | 22 min | $115,980 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of West Caldwell 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 West Caldwell Township: questions
What is the median household income in West Caldwell Township?
$158,467 (±$5,065) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $103,556 across New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in West Caldwell Township?
3.6%, against 9.7% across New Jersey and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from West Caldwell Township?
26 minutes each way on average, against 31 across New Jersey and 26 nationally. 15% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in West Caldwell Township work?
6% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are New York City (13%, 23 mi), Newark (6%, 11 mi), Fairfield Township (4%, 2 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Is West Caldwell Township walkable?
West Caldwell Township is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns (Walkability A−): an EPA walkability index of 9.8 out of 20, and 4% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around West Caldwell Township without a car?
3% of commuters take transit and 7% of households have no car. 14% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from West Caldwell Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of West Caldwell 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.