Sparta Takes 2nd Spot On The List Of NJ's Top 50 Safest Towns For 2021

SPARTA, NJ — Sparta Township made the SafeWise list of “New Jersey’s 50 Safest Cities of 2021” at number two.

It's the second time in 2021 that Sparta had made a SafeWise Safest Cities list, having ranked number 8 on the list of the Top 25 Safest Cities Nationwide.

SafeWise 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, Sparta is nestled at the second spot, in between River Vale Township and Chatham Township. With SafeWise having Sparta’s population at 18,532 and median income at $126,090, it lists the violent crime rates in 2021, 2020 and 2019 at 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5, well below New Jersey’s average. The property crime rate in Sparta, SafeWise stated, was 1.7 for 2021 - the lowest statewide - with 2.9 for 2020 and 3.5 for 2019.

The website, which compiles data on crime and safety statistics coast-to-coast, 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 50 New Jersey's Safest Cities and analytics corresponding to that list, click here: www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-new-jersey/#list.

RELATED: Sparta Ranks #8 Among America's Safest Cities Nationwide

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