Places › New Jersey › Fair Lawn

Living in Fair Lawn, NJ

Suburb in New Jersey

Fair Lawn is a suburb in New Jersey, home to about 35,000 people, with 13.9 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Fair Lawn a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 31 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Easy flying: LGA is 17 mi away
  • Big job market: about 13.9 million people live within 31 mi
  • Highly educated: 64% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 13 research universities are within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Higher taxes: about $2,267 state income tax per resident, 1.88% property tax
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $701k, and rent is $2,840 a month
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Few dog parks: 20 within 9 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Fair Lawn ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
35,000
13.9 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
43°F / 85°F
Average daily highs · 28″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$701k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$2,840/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
113
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$2,267
State income tax per resident · 1.88% property tax
Safety
0.06× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
11 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
31
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Excellent
Tests well above US average · 13 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
64%
13 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
LGA
17 mi away

Living in Fair Lawn: common questions

What is the cost of living in Fair Lawn?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $701k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,840 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 113, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Fair Lawn?

New Jersey collects about $2,267 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.88% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Fair Lawn safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.06× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Fair Lawn?

Public schools in Fair Lawn test well above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Fair Lawn?

Fair Lawn has cold winters: winter days average around 43°F and summer days around 85°F, with roughly 28″ of snow a year.

Does Fair Lawn get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.35 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Fair Lawn?

The nearest major airport is LGA, about 17 mi away.

How Fair Lawn scores

Each bar compares Fair Lawn with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeBig city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundWalk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureStrong culture scene Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCold winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceVery fast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityTight-knit community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingBelow average
💸Low taxesPoor
💼Job marketExcellent
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsExcellent
🎓EducationExcellent
🧸Kids & familyExcellent
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CultureExcellent
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyBelow average
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Fair Lawn

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Westfield, NJSuburb75 $999k$3,540/moVery safe Bergenfield, NJSuburb76 $644k$2,840/moVery safe Franklin Square, NYSuburb72 $803k$3,170/moNo crime data East Meadow, NYSuburb71 $818k$3,760/moNo crime data Oceanside, NYSuburb70 $774k$3,270/moNo crime data Valley Stream, NYSuburb72 $754k$3,560/moNo crime data

Nearby

Paramus, NJSuburb · 3 mi away69 $977k$6,510/moSafe Paterson, NJMid-size city · 3 mi away58 $508k$2,250/moModerate crime Garfield, NJSuburb · 4 mi away67 $591k$2,840/moVery safe Hackensack, NJSuburb · 5 mi away70 $611k$2,840/moVery safe Passaic, NJSuburb · 5 mi away62 $554k$2,450/moModerate crime Clifton, NJSuburb · 6 mi away68 $630k$2,840/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in New Jersey.

Is Fair Lawn right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.