Camden, NJ, has become significantly safer, experiencing a historic, long-term decline in crime with homicides hitting their lowest level since 1985 as of early 2026. Total crime fell 10% between 2024 and 2025. While violent crime has dropped 6%, some areas of caution remain regarding specific, less common crimes.
Camden has been experiencing historic declines in crime since 2021. At the start of last year, city officials announced a 55-year low in total crime. Between 2024 and 2025, total crime fell 10%.
In January 2025, Camden had the worst crime rate in London for public order, with 193 crimes reported and a crime rate of 0.55 per 1,000 daytime population.
What is the crime rate in Camden? The crime rate in Camden is above the average for both London and the rest of the UK. The overall crime rate in Camden in 2023 was 118 crimes per 1,000 people with the main crime reported being other theft. This is likely due to the increased tourism in Camden Market.
The improvement in Camden has been striking. From 2010 to 2023, students in the traditional district schools closed the gap with the state performance average by 35%. Citywide, it was 42%.
How Safe Is Camden Market? - United Kingdom Explorers
Is Camden safer than Newark?
We both think while Newark is definitely a dangerous city to live in and while neither one of us would ever consider living there and would hate traveling around that city (especially on foot), Camden is SO MUCH worse and has A LOT more gang activity and crime than even Newark does.
Bernards Township consistently ranks among the safest towns in New Jersey. The town of about 28,151 residents feels orderly and close-knit, with strong school communities and active neighborhood groups.
Camden is generally safe at night, especially in quieter residential areas. However, areas with vibrant nightlife may experience more anti-social behaviour, so it's best to remain cautious late at night.
According to statistics from members of the Camden County Police Department, 2025 ended with a 29% reduction in homicides. A total of 12 murders were reported in 2025 in comparison to 17 in 2024. Since 2012, Camden City has seen an 82% decrease in homicides.
While London is generally safe, you might want to avoid staying in areas known for higher petty crime (like Westminster Bridge/South Bank for pickpicking) or those with reputations for drug issues like parts of Brixton, Peckham, or Elephant & Castle, though these areas offer unique culture; instead, prioritize central locations like Covent Garden, South Kensington, or Bloomsbury for charm, or Shoreditch/Angel for trendy vibes, while being vigilant everywhere for phone theft.
Camden, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hounslow, Redbridge, Brent, Barking and Dagenham, Enfield, Ealing, Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Kingston upon Thames, Wandsworth, Barnet, Harrow and Waltham Forest all have significantly higher levels of poverty compared to England as a ...
Homicides and violent crime in Camden fell again in 2025, with city officials saying the latest numbers mark the safest year the city has seen in decades.
2.2 In March 2025, Camden experienced a cluster (34 across 6 days) of non-fatal opiate related overdoses and intelligence is received on a regular basis regarding adulterated (or super strength) drug supply including opioids, MDMA (ecstasy), Ketamine and Benzodiazepines across the region and nationally.
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra have violent crime rate higher than the national average in 2023. Some causes of crimes are region specific.
To avoid bigger crowds, it's best to avoid the February half-term, Easter holiday and October half-term. The dates of these breaks change annually and this is when children across the country will be on a short break from school.
Camden, the poorest city in the state, has a poverty rate of 35.5%. Other poor areas are the cities across the Hudson River from New York City, including Newark, Paterson, and Passaic.
The Brief. Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire place highest in WalletHub's 2025 "Safest States to Live In." New Jersey is 16th overall and New York lands 17th overall in the 50-state safety ranking. The ranking evaluates states across personal, financial, road, workplace safety and emergency preparedness metrics ...
This shift in migration patterns shows that despite a major outbound state like New Jersey, attracting aspiring workers, more and more people leave at the same time due to retirement, changes in lifestyle and living costs.
