The 10 Worst Cities For Women In New Jersey For 2026

As we move into 2026, it’s crucial to recognize that while progress has been made towards gender equality, women in the United States continue to face significant challenges. Issues like wage disparity, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and higher poverty rates still persist, making it essential to evaluate the best and worst locations for women to thrive.

In this analysis, we delve into New Jersey to pinpoint the cities offering the least favorable conditions for women. By examining various factors, we uncover how geography impacts women’s opportunities across the state.

Continue reading to discover which cities are the most challenging for women in New Jersey and learn about our research methodology.

The 10 Worst Cities To Be A Woman In New Jersey

These ten cities reflect the most significant barriers faced by women in New Jersey. For further insights, continue reading to explore why these areas present unique challenges for women or jump to the end to find the best cities for women in the state.

Methodology â€“ How We Determined The Worst Cities For Women In New Jersey

Each city was assessed across four critical categories:

Percentage of Women in Management (lower values indicate worse conditions)
Percentage of Women in Poverty (higher values indicate worse conditions)
Female Earnings as a Percentage of Male Earnings (lower values indicate worse conditions)
Percentage of Uninsured Women (lower values indicate worse conditions)

Data for this analysis was primarily sourced from the Census American Community Survey. By comparing median incomes of male and female workers, we calculated the earnings ratio to highlight disparities. Additionally, the poverty rates focused specifically on women living without relatives to provide a clearer picture of their economic challenges.

We also analyzed the proportion of women in leadership roles to gauge opportunities for advancement, given that women are more likely to promote other women. Lastly, we assessed health insurance coverage rates for women in each city.

Only cities in New Jersey with populations exceeding 5,000 were included in this analysis.

1. Lakewood

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.63
Women in Management: 28.1%
Women in Poverty: 34.9%
Uninsured Women: 9.4%

Lakewood ranks as the most challenging city for women in New Jersey, reflecting low scores in several critical areas. With a high percentage of women living in poverty and lacking health insurance, women in Lakewood face significant hurdles.

2. East Rutherford

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.61
Women in Management: 29.3%
Women in Poverty: 14.6%
Uninsured Women: 8.3%

East Rutherford stands as the second most challenging city for women, marked by high poverty rates and overall poor statistics.

3. Garfield

Garfield, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Adam Moss from | CC BY-SA 2.0

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.67
Women in Management: 34.6%
Women in Poverty: 19.5%
Uninsured Women: 15.2%

Women in Garfield face significant challenges, with only 34.6% in management positions and a notable percentage living in poverty.

4. New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User MJKazin at Engl | GFDL

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.74
Women in Management: 32.4%
Women in Poverty: 37.7%
Uninsured Women: 16.2%

New Brunswick ranks fourth for women, with 37.7% of women living in poverty and 16.2% lacking health insurance.

5. Paulsboro

Paulsboro, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Jerrye amp; Roy Kl | CC BY-SA 3.0

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.54
Women in Management: 37.8%
Women in Poverty: 19.8%
Uninsured Women: 8.1%

Paulsboro is the fifth worst city for women, showing some improvements over the previous four but still reflective of broader systemic issues.

6. Elizabeth

Elizabeth, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Robshazaamz | CC BY-SA 4.0

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.74
Women in Management: 32.0%
Women in Poverty: 20.3%
Uninsured Women: 18.9%

Elizabeth ranks sixth, with a significant percentage of women living in poverty and lacking health insurance.

7. Passaic

Passaic, NJ

Source: Public domain

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.76
Women in Management: 32.5%
Women in Poverty: 35.0%
Uninsured Women: 19.7%

Women in Passaic experience high poverty levels and an unfavorable earnings distribution, making economic progress difficult.

8. Runnemede

Runnemede, NJ

Source: Public domain

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.61
Women in Management: 31.0%
Women in Poverty: 10.6%
Uninsured Women: 9.8%

Runnemede presents several challenges for women, with a poverty rate of 10.6% and a significant earnings gap.

9. Prospect Park

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.71
Women in Management: 17.2%
Women in Poverty: 23.9%
Uninsured Women: 5.7%

Prospect Park presents a tough environment for women, with a low percentage earning compared to men and significant poverty levels.

10. Guttenberg

Guttenberg, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Nightscream | CC BY 3.0

Female Earnings per Male Dollar Earned: $0.53
Women in Management: 49.9%
Women in Poverty: 22.8%
Uninsured Women: 18.2%

Guttenberg, while showing some improvements, still faces significant challenges for women, with 22.8% living in poverty.

Summary On Worst Cities to Be A Woman In New Jersey

The cities highlighted in this report represent the most difficult environments for women in New Jersey today. While systemic challenges exist throughout the state, these cities pose particularly severe barriers to women’s progress.

Despite some areas showing improvement, the gap between the best and worst cities remains stark. For women in Lakewood and similar cities, overcoming these challenges requires resilience and community support.

Explore the comprehensive list below for further insights into the conditions faced by women across New Jersey.

Detailed List Of The Worst Cities For Women In New Jersey

Rank	Place	Pay Gap
1	Lakewood	$0.63
2	East Rutherford	$0.61
3	Garfield	$0.67
4	New Brunswick	$0.74
5	Paulsboro	$0.54
6	Elizabeth	$0.74
7	Passaic	$0.76
8	Runnemede	$0.61
9	Prospect Park	$0.71
10	Guttenberg	$0.53
11	Montvale	$0.60
12	Bridgeton	$1.21
13	Fairview	$0.85
14	Harrison	$0.63
15	Haledon	$0.76
16	Lodi	$0.71
17	South River	$0.51
18	Union	$0.68
19	Cliffside Park	$0.72
20	Pennsville	$0.65
21	Asbury Park	$0.88
22	West New York	$0.68
23	Summit	$0.47
24	Phillipsburg	$0.66
25	Clifton	$0.67
26	Wallington	$0.72
27	Little Ferry	$0.58
28	Wood-Ridge	$0.68
29	Echelon	$0.69
30	Hightstown	$0.77
31	Fort Lee	$0.75
32	Englewood	$0.76
33	Wildwood	$0.41
34	Raritan	$0.66
35	West Freehold	$0.58
36	Villas	$0.87
37	Bayonne	$0.73
38	Twin Rivers	$0.85
39	Perth Amboy	$0.70
40	Beachwood	$0.60
41	Iselin	$0.62
42	Dover	$0.75
43	Carteret	$0.78
44	Browns Mills	$0.69
45	Midland Park	$0.52
46	Palisades Park	$0.77
47	Long Branch	$0.72
48	Jersey City	$0.74
49	Toms River	$0.59
50	Paterson	$0.75
51	Princeton Meadows	$0.62
52	East Franklin	$0.79
53	Jamesburg	$0.84
54	Kearny	$0.74
55	Closter	$0.59
56	Holiday City-Berkeley	$0.63
57	Oceanport	$0.66
58	Pine Lake Park	$0.68
59	Berlin	$0.64
60	Belmar	$0.65
61	West Long Branch	$0.39
62	Northfield	$0.71
63	Hackettstown	$0.75
64	Gloucester City	$0.72
65	Yorketown	$0.35
66	Newark	$0.75
67	Red Bank	$0.77
68	Crestwood Village	$0.72
69	Hillsdale	$0.54
70	Atlantic City	$0.83
71	Brigantine	$0.71
72	Pompton Lakes	$0.59
73	Leonia	$0.64
74	Florham Park	$0.37
75	Haddon Heights	$0.58
76	Cherry Hill Mall	$0.70
77	Margate City	$0.59
78	Avenel	$0.64
79	Milltown	$0.63
80	Budd Lake	$0.75
81	Hasbrouck Heights	$0.65
82	Pitman	$0.54
83	Old Tappan	$0.58
84	Kendall Park	$0.64
85	North Haledon	$0.63
86	Tenafly	$0.59
87	Trenton	$1.02
88	Bogota	$0.58
89	Westwood	$0.75
90	Somerdale	$0.78
91	Freehold	$0.97
92	Keansburg	$0.61
93	Robertsville	$0.46
94	Madison Park	$0.70
95	Springdale	$0.46
96	Ocean City	$0.56
97	Middlesex	$0.62
98	Rumson	$0.27
99	Norwood	$0.49
100	Edgewater	$0.80

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Author

Kathy Morris

Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.

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