New Jersey’s Somerset County is home to wealthy and highly educated people. It does, however, also have areas with different degrees of safety. Somerset County continues to have a lower violent crime rate than the national average, but it has a greater rate of property crime, according to NeighborhoodScout’s crime data.
The county’s overall crime rate is lower than the state average of 14.9, with 11.58 incidents per 1,000 persons. However, some neighborhoods in Somerset County have higher than average rates of crime, which may raise more questions about public safety for both locals and visitors.
The five Somerset County communities with the highest rates of violent and property crime per 1,000 residents are listed below.
Bound Brook
The population of Bound Brook, which is in Somerset County, is 10,180. The borough’s crime rate is marginally higher than the county average at 12.47 per 1,000 people. In particular, compared to the county average of 0.75, it has a somewhat higher violent crime rate of 1.56 per 1,000 population.
Furthermore, compared to the county average of 10.83, Bound Brook has a higher rate of property crime—10.91 per 1,000 residents—than the average.
Somerville
There are 12,154 people living in Somerville, which is the county seat and borough of Somerset County. The town reports somewhat more crimes than the county average, with 12.16 incidents per 1,000 population.
In particular, Somerville’s violent crime rate is moderate—0.9 incidences per 1,000 residents—as opposed to the county average of 0.75. Furthermore, compared to the county average of 10.83, it has a moderate rate of property crime, with 11.26 incidents per 1,000 persons.
Raritan
Raritan is a town in Somerset County with about 6,399 people living there. The borough’s crime rate is higher than the county average, with 13.28 incidents per 1,000 population. Regarding particular categories of crimes, Raritan has a violent crime rate that is comparable to the county average at 0.75 incidences per 1,000 residents.
Raritan, however, has a higher rate of property crime—12.53 incidents per 1,000 residents—than the county average of 10.83.
Manville
The population of Manville, which is in Somerset County, is roughly 10,937. With 21.42 incidents per 1,000 residents, the borough has an impressive crime rate that is almost twice as high as the county average.
Compared to the county average of 0.75, Manville has a lower rate of violent crime—0.59 per 1,000 inhabitants. But the rate of property crime in the region is much higher than the county average, with 20.83 incidents per 1,000 residents, as opposed to 10.83.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth, a town in Union County that borders Somerset County, with 111,048 residents. With 37.47 incidents per 1,000 residents, the city has a noteworthy crime rate that is far higher than the county average.
Elizabeth has a higher than average rate of violent crime—7.19 incidents per 1,000 residents—than the county average of 0.75. This is very worrying. Elizabeth also has exceptionally high property crime, with 30.28 incidents per 1,000 residents, significantly higher than the county average of 10.83.
In summary
Based on the most recent information from numerous sources and the highest recorded crime rates, these are the top five riskiest neighborhoods in Somerset County, New Jersey. It is important to realize that not all inhabitants and visitors are at risk, even though some locations have greater rates of criminal activity than other places in the county or state.
Since crime can happen anywhere and at any time, it’s critical to always be aware of your surroundings and take precautions to protect your personal property and yourself.