CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.96° N · 74.61° W · GEOID 3437710

Lake Hopatcong

Morris County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

New JerseyLake Hopatcong, NJLake HopatcongLake Hopatcong

The short answer

Lake Hopatcong is home to 10,259 people. Median household income is $117,625 a year and median rent is $1,686 a month, 17.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $424,200, about 3.6x annual median household income.

Lake Hopatcong stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 287 New Jersey places we track. Also notable: Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 93 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

54OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

Lake Hopatcong scores better than 54% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 151st of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%66
Economy 20%62
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%24
Education 10%75
Commute 10%15
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,686
24% above the median place
Median household income
$117,625
47% above the median place
Median home value
$424,200
33% above the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
6% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Lake Hopatcong

  • SchoolsPublic schools here have 9.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 98% of the 1,707 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
  • Housing92% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 95% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Lake Hopatcong

Morris County loses about 1.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in21,696
Moved out22,456
Net−760

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Essex County, NJ2,6401,274+1,366
Passaic County, NJ2,1381,144+994
Bergen County, NJ1,909880+1,029
Sussex County, NJ1,2001,502−302
Hudson County, NJ1,779891+888
Somerset County, NJ9191,121−202
Union County, NJ1,154760+394

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$135K
Leavers$132K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Morris County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Morris County report $134,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $132,400.
Income you would need
$67,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,686 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,580 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $424,200.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 16.1% work from home; 2.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Independence, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
6.2%
8% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$132,441
88% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$134,692
91% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLake HopatcongAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year16.2%8% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.4%30% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-1.7183% below
Income of households moving in7County figure$134,69291% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$132,44188% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 2.2% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 92% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Lake Hopatcong17.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$67,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.2%
16% below the median place
Home price to income
3.6x
5% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$93,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lake Hopatcong, $1,686 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Lake Hopatcong, but easier on the budget

Places that match Lake Hopatcong on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Independence, OH9514.3% vs 17.2%$9,700Compare
Somerset, MA9413.5% vs 17.2%$3,500Compare
Kingston, MA9212.7% vs 17.2%$39,000Compare
Vernon, WI9111.2% vs 17.2%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lake Hopatcong.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lake Hopatcong? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
91.8%
38% above the median place
Property tax rate1
2.2%
137% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$9,152
180% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureLake HopatcongAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,68624% above
Rent to income117.2%16% below
Property tax rate12.2%137% above
Home price to income13.6x5% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,23338% above
HUD area median income4County figure$138,40029% above
Property tax paid (median)1$9,152180% above
Median home value1$424,20033% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.9%84% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.9%3% above
Homeownership191.8%38% above
Renters paying 30%+146.1%9% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,58038% above
Vacant homes15.7%20% below
Median year built119631% below
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 4.0%, 63% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
4.0%
63% below the median place
Mean commute1
32 min
28% above the median place
Income per person1
$57,717
44% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$117,625 +47%
Commutes by transit2.5% 2.9×
Works from home16.1% +30%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLake HopatcongAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$117,62547% above
Income per person1$57,71744% above
Unemployment1County figure5.2%6% above
Average annual pay6County figure$104,04558% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.8%24% below
Jobs6County figure301,376100% above
Poverty rate14.0%63% below
Mean commute132 min28% above
Works from home116.1%30% above
Commutes by transit12.5%193% above
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 3.1%, 52% below the median place.

No health insurance1
3.1%
52% below the median place
Median age1
46.0
18% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.7%
4% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher95.6% +3%
Bachelor's or higher46.4% +45%
Born abroad10.7% +21%
Household size2.4 −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureLake HopatcongAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population110,2594081st largest
Median age146.018% above
Bachelor's or higher146.4%45% above
High school or higher195.6%3% above
Household size12.42% below
Born abroad110.7%21% above
No health insurance13.1%52% below
Homes with broadband195.7%4% above
05

Life in Lake Hopatcong

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 287 New Jersey places we track.

161 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k5.8 −38%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k17.6 +57%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails5 km 2.3×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Morristown National Historical Park 14 miles
  • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area 21 miles
  • Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park 23 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars26.2 +26%
Shops31.7 +5%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.0 +46%
Doctors' offices and clinics26.7 +32%
Child care centers3.0 +30%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Public school students12
226
95% below the median place
Students per teacher12
9.8
36% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLake HopatcongAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1222695% below
Students per teacher129.836% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure26.226% above
Shops per 10k8County figure31.75% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.046% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure26.732% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.030% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k95.838% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k917.657% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails94.6130% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1013.556% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure161above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 84.4%, 23% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lake Hopatcong. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days15
84.4%
23% above the median place
Wildfire risk14
30.0
51% below the median place
Median air quality index15
39
9% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLake HopatcongAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure84°F3% below
January average low13County figure20°F22% below
Average temperature13County figure51°F7% below
Annual precipitation13County figure50.0 in14% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure92.90% above
Hurricane risk14County figure85.221% above
Tornado risk14County figure79.92% below
Wildfire risk14County figure30.051% below
Heat wave risk14County figure89.21% below
Median air quality index15County figure399% below
Good air days15County figure84.4%23% above
08

Lake Hopatcong in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Lake Hopatcong does better than 66% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 11%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,686/mo (2024)$2,130/mo$1,750 to $2,600/mo+4.0%
Median household income$117,625 (2024)$148,000$125,000 to $175,000+3.9%
Median home value$424,200 (2024)$590,000$428,000 to $813,000+5.6%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Lake Hopatcong

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
New Freedom, PA$1,640$120,037Compare
Sugar Grove, IL$1,543$121,207Compare
Lakeland Highlands, FL$1,704$108,263Compare
Wanaque, NJ$1,778$113,175Compare
Wanaque, NJLakeland Highlands, FLSugar Grove, ILNew Freedom, PALake Hopatcong, NJLake HopatcongNew FreedomSugar GroveLakeland HighlandsWanaqueNew FreedomSugar GroveLakeland HighlandsWanaque

Places built like Lake Hopatcong

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Lake Hopatcong performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Lake Hopatcong, NJ17.2%4.0%/yrn/a
Spotswood, NJ12.3%5.6%/yr1.1%Compare
Mercerville, NJ15.2%5.5%/yrn/aCompare
Hamilton Square, NJ18.6%4.0%/yrn/aCompare
South Huntington, NY15.5%4.9%/yrn/aCompare
Glenshaw, PA13.0%2.8%/yrn/aCompare
Kings Park, NY19.1%3.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Lake Hopatcong a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 54 out of 100, better than 54% of the places we rate and 151st of 287 in New Jersey. Public schools here have 9.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 98% of the 1,707 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. 92% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 95% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 95 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lake Hopatcong expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $424,200.

What salary do you need to live in Lake Hopatcong?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $67,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lake Hopatcong?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are New Freedom, PA, Sugar Grove, IL, Lakeland Highlands, FL and Wanaque, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lake Hopatcong with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lake Hopatcong itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lake-hopatcong-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lake-hopatcong-new-jersey/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.