CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.92° N · 74.51° W · GEOID 3480750

White Meadow Lake

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

New JerseyWhite Meadow Lake, NJWhite Meadow LakeWhite Meadow Lake

The short answer

White Meadow Lake is home to 8,842 people. Median household income is $149,324 a year and median rent is $2,686 a month, 21.6% 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 $470,800, about 3.1x annual median household income.

The story in White Meadow Lake is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 15.8% to 21.6% of income. Also notable: Money left after rent is $111,300, against $144,700 in its closest peers.

49OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

White Meadow Lake scores better than 49% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 161st of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%56
Economy 20%63
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%4
Education 10%87
Commute 10%40
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
$2,686
97% above the median place
Median household income
$149,324
86% above the median place
Median home value
$470,800
47% above the median place
Unemployment
5.7%
17% 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 White Meadow Lake

  • Value for moneyHome values are about 27% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location. Experimental
  • Life nearby21 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 92% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to White Meadow Lake

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
5.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state. County figure.
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
$107,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,686 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,866 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $470,800.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 27.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Lynnfield, MA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving out7
$132,441
88% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$134,692
91% above the median place
Moved from another state1
1.4%
30% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWhite Meadow LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.3%8% below
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

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 91% of places we track, yet 77% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

White Meadow Lake21.6%
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
$107,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.6%
6% above the median place
Home price to income
3.1x
17% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$111,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in White Meadow Lake, $2,686 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 White Meadow Lake, but easier on the budget

Places that match White Meadow Lake 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
Lynnfield, MA9618.3% vs 21.6%$31,800Compare
Long Hill, CT9413.1% vs 21.6%$47,000Compare
Elwood, NY9214.0% vs 21.6%$33,400Compare
North Scituate, MA9113.6% vs 21.6%$9,800Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to White Meadow Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
76.8%
52% above the median place
Homeownership1
91.8%
38% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWhite Meadow LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,68697% above
Rent to income121.6%6% above
Home price to income13.1x17% 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$10,001206% above
Median home value1$470,80047% 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%+176.8%52% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,86653% above
Vacant homes1County figure3.1%56% below
Median year built119641% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
1.6%
85% below the median place
Median household income1
$149,324
86% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home27.4% 2.2×
Income per person$61,250 +53%
Unemployment5.7% +17%
Mean commute27 min +7%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWhite Meadow LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$149,32486% above
Income per person1$61,25053% above
Unemployment15.7%17% above
Average annual pay6County figure$104,04558% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.8%24% below
Jobs6County figure301,376100% above
Poverty rate11.6%85% below
Mean commute127 min7% above
Works from home127.4%120% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 1.8%, 72% below the median place.

No health insurance1
1.8%
72% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
98.5%
7% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.4%
7% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.1 +25%
Bachelor's or higher57.5% +79%
Median age39.6 +2%
Born abroad9.3% +6%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWhite Meadow LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,8424571st largest
Median age139.62% above
Bachelor's or higher157.5%79% above
High school or higher198.4%7% above
Household size13.125% above
Born abroad19.3%6% above
No health insurance11.8%72% below
Homes with broadband198.5%7% above
05

Life in White Meadow Lake

OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 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 10k2.3 −76%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k4.5 −59%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
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 9 miles
  • Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park 17 miles
  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park 17 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.

Nearest National Park Service site10
9.1
70% below the median place
Students per teacher12
10.7
31% below the median place
Public schools12
154
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWhite Meadow LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure154above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure72,239above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure10.731% 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 10k92.376% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k94.559% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site109.170% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1021above (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 White Meadow Lake. 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
MeasureWhite Meadow LakeAmong 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

White Meadow Lake in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, up from 22% 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, White Meadow Lake does better than 53% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 18%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,686/mo (2024)$3,500/mo$2,870 to $4,270/mo+4.5%
Median household income$149,324 (2024)$187,000$158,000 to $221,000+3.8%
Median home value$470,800 (2024)$660,000$479,000 to $909,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.2 now.

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

09

Places like White Meadow Lake

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

PlaceRentIncome
Harrisburg, NC$2,640$148,254Compare
Newington Forest, VA$2,618$149,107Compare
Frankfort, IL$2,442$154,375Compare
Newington, VA$2,805$155,027Compare
Newington, VAFrankfort, ILNewington Forest, VAHarrisburg, NCWhite Meadow Lake, NJHarrisburgNewington ForestFrankfortNewingtonHarrisburgNewington ForestFrankfortNewington

Places built like White Meadow Lake

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 White Meadow Lake performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
White Meadow Lake, NJ21.6%2.4%/yrn/a
Bridgewater Center, NJ15.5%5.4%/yrn/aCompare
Packanack Lake, NJ19.7%10.6%/yrn/aCompare
Hillsdale, NJ11.3%5.0%/yr0.7%Compare
Bernardsville, NJ11.7%7.4%/yr1.1%Compare
Elwood, NY14.0%8.8%/yrn/aCompare
Oakland, NJ10.2%5.1%/yr0.8%Compare

Common questions

Is White Meadow Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 49 out of 100, better than 49% of the places we rate and 161st of 287 in New Jersey. Home values are about 27% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location. 21 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 92% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 97 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is White Meadow Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $470,800.

What salary do you need to live in White Meadow Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $107,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to White Meadow Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Harrisburg, NC, Newington Forest, VA, Frankfort, IL and Newington, VA.

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); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

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

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