Dover 78 Exceptional
Dover Livability #94 ranked city in New Jersey#2,430 ranked city in the USARanks better than 91% of areas
Is This the Right Place for You? Local Insights Report
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Local Insights Report

Pros and Cons of Living in Dover

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    A high commute score suggests convenient, easy access to public transportation, with shorter-than-average work commute times to work.

  • Crime Crime

    The crime rate is far lower than the national average per 100,000 residents. As such, it should be considered a very safe place to live when compared to other areas.

  • Employment Employment

    This area excels in the employment category with a score well above average, primarily due to the higher median home income, per capita income and low unemployment rates.

  • Housing Housing

    High scores in the housing category are attributed to this area, possibly pointing to a favorable home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Achieving a high health and safety score relies on factors including great air quality and convenient access to vital health facilities such as hospitals, doctors, clinics and police stations.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    A large portion of amenities are not ideally situated within walking distance, potentially requiring residents to utilize a vehicle or public transportation.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    The cost of living in this area is notably high, making it a more expensive place to live. You'll find higher expenses for everyday goods and services, housing and groceries.

What's it like Living in Dover?

Dover is a medium-sized city located in the state of New Jersey. The city has a population of 18,528 inhabitants. Dover has a population density of 6,925 people per square mile. This would be considered well above the national population density level. More than a quarter of the residents of Dover identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and 66% of the population speak Spanish as their primary or secondary language. The average American spends about 26 minutes on their one way commute to work each day. Lower travel times can increase overall happiness and allow for more time to be spent with family and friends. While living in Dover, your commute times will be about average, with a one way commute time of 27 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Dover could be a positive experience compared to other cities in New Jersey if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Finding the best places to live in Dover and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes amenities, cost of living, commute, education and other important metrics.

With a livability score of 77/100, Dover is ranked #2,800 in the United States and #114 in New Jersey. Compared to the US average, Dover ranks among some of the best places to live in the country! Dover has also earned the rare honor of ranking in the top 10 percentile among all cities. If we dig down a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Dover has higher than average grades for the following: crime (B-), employment (A-) and housing (A-). On a more negative note, Dover does not have favorable grades for the following: amenities (F) and cost of living (F). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.

A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Dover excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.

Assuming that Dover meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Dover. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Dover are simply unattainable. The median home price for Dover homes is $469,303, which is 15.5% lower than the New Jersey average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Dover, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 4.9, which is 3.9% lower than the New Jersey average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Dover

See all the best places to live around Dover

How Do You Rate The Livability In Dover?

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Compare Dover, NJ Livability

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      Dover transportation information

      Statistic Dover New Jersey National
      Average one way commute27min31min26min
      Workers who drive to work62.2%71.7%76.4%
      Workers who carpool23.0%8.1%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit5.3%11.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.1%0.3%0.6%
      Workers who walk5.1%3.0%2.8%
      Working from home1.6%4.1%4.6%
      Source: The Dover, NJ data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.