Chatham Twp. Takes Spot On U.S. Top 100 Safest Small Towns For 2021

CHATHAM, NJ — Chatham Township made the SafeWise list of "100 Safest Small Towns" in the country at number 32, as well as “New Jersey’s 50 Safest Cities of 2021” at number three.

SafeWise, a website that compiles data on crime and safety statistics coast-to-coast, gave a bevy of reasons why living in a small town has its benefits, versus larger, metropolitan locations.

Though there have been rises in violent and property crimes in U.S. small towns, which according to SafeWise, small towns comprise 76 percent of the country's municipalities, SafeWise indicates these crimes still fall below the national average.

Per 1,000 people, in a small town, violent crimes occur among 0.18 people, versus 3.7 per 1,000 people as a nationwide average. Property crimes impact 2.3 people per 1,000 on an average in a small town, SafeWise reports, while the national average is 21.1. See their full report here.

Chatham Township, which SafeWise listed as having a population of 10,219, jumped from number 48 on this list to 32, with no violent crimes reported to date this year, something that has trended for the past, three years.

SafeWise also analyzed New Jersey’s crime rates, breaking it down by violent and property crimes. In 2021, New Jersey reportedly saw a drop in both types of crimes, with total incidents at 2.1 per 1,000 people for violent crimes, with 162 fewer in 2021 versus 2020.

The property crime rate in 2021 was 13.4 per 1,000, SafeWise reported, another decline in New Jersey from 2021 when it was 14.0.

New Jersey was less than the national average for all crimes, with the fifth lowest nationwide in violent and property crimes, SafeWise stated. Pennsylvania also outpaced New Jersey in violent crimes, which has a 3.1 per 1,000 rate; and New York with property crimes, which was 13.7 per 1,000.

Although there has been a drop, New Jersey residents reportedly worry more about their safety, by 1.3 times than residents in other states, SafeWise stated, most especially property crimes.

SafeWise reports that though it’s lower than the national rate, burglary in New Jersey makes up 14 percent of all the states property crimes.

Package theft statistics in New Jersey were the highest in the country at 21 percent, the average 20 percent.

According to statistics on New Jersey’s safest city list, Chatham is nestled at the third spot, in between Sparta Township and Kinnelon. With SafeWise having Chatham Township's population median income at $135,497, it lists the violent crime rates in 2021, 2020 and 2019 at 0.0 for all three years, well below New Jersey’s average. The property crime rate in Chatham Township, SafeWise stated, was 2.3 for 2021 - a drop from the past two years - with the rate at 3.2 for 2020 and 3.7 for 2019.

SafeWise previously ranked New Jersey overall as the state with the greatest number of “safe cities” that made SafeWise's national list of safest cities. New Jersey additionally made SafeWise's list recently of having the greatest concentration of safest small towns throughout the country, with 27 that hit the list.

For SafeWise's Top 100 Safest Small Towns in America, see the list here: https://www.safewise.com/safest-towns-america/#100_safest_small_towns.

For the Top 50 New Jersey's Safest Cities and analytics corresponding to that list, click here: www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-new-jersey/#list.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.