Fair Lawn vs Garfield
Fair Lawn, New Jersey versus Garfield, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fair Lawn and Garfield score about the same overall (47 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fair Lawn | Garfield |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $142k | $72k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $64k |
| Home Value | $488k | $431k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.05% | 2.17% |
| Income Tax | 10.70% | 10.70% |
| Sales Tax | 6.60% | 6.60% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.94% | 25.82% |
| Unemployment | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.3 in | 46.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.2 in | 28.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 233 days | 233 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 81 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.4 | 33.7 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 279/100k | 541/100k |
| Property Crime | 720/100k | 1610/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 34,948 | 32,472 |
| Median Age | 40.8 | 38.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.43 | 0.49 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | D+17 | D+17 |
| White (%) | 68.1% | 51.3% |
| Black (%) | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 14.1% | 40.4% |
| Asian (%) | 11.8% | 2.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.5% | 0.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 34 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 14.8/20 | 14.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 13 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.0% | 84.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 171.68 | 225.42 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fair Lawn or Garfield more affordable?
- Garfield has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Fair Lawn's $64k and Garfield's $64k. Median rent is $2k in Fair Lawn versus $1k in Garfield.
- Is Fair Lawn or Garfield safer?
- Fair Lawn has the lower violent crime rate. Fair Lawn reports 279/100k and Garfield reports 541/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fair Lawn or Garfield?
- The median home value is $488k in Fair Lawn and $431k in Garfield, so homes are more affordable in Garfield.