City Town Info

Edison, NJ


  • Overview
  • Almanac
  • People
  • Local
  • Schools
  • Comments

Edison, New Jersey

Introduction to Edison, New Jersey

Edison is bordered to the south by the Raritan River in Middlesex County. It was placed at the 28th position for the most livable small city in the country by Money Magazine. It's recognized as a middle class and upper middle class city which includes a large number of ethnic neighborhoods.

Edison serves as a major transportation center for the distribution of goods due to the large network of highways traversing through the town which lead to numerous large cities. It's also a major center for rail transportation. Raritan Center is one of the biggest industrial parks east of the Mississippi River.

History

The municipality was originally included in the Woodbridge Township and the Piscataway Township during the late 17th century. In 1954 the city was renamed in tribute to the well known inventor Thomas Edison. In 1876 Thomas Edison created the nearby Menlo Park Laboratory. During this time he developed some of his well known inventions including the phonograph as well as an incandescent light bulb filament.

The population experienced significant growth during the second portion of the 19th century primarily due to the attractive rural setting which became easier to access with the arrival of the Pennsylvania Railroad. During the late 1800's a large number of residents commuted to their jobs in New York and areas of New Jersey.

Transportation

Edison is served by the Newark International Airport. Edison Station provides train service to New York City and Trenton.

Higher Education

Edison is home to Middlesex County College.

Attractions

  • Inman Sports Club.
  • Menlo Park Mall.
  • Oak Tree Pond was a battle ground site during the American Revolutionary War.
  • Roosevelt Park.
  • The Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum features a large number of his inventions such as light bulbs and a Light-O-Matic Radio.
  • Edison Fall Family Spectacular Music Festival.
  • Ash Brook Reservation.
  • Nearby Farrington Lake offers noteworthy hiking trails.
  • The Cheesequake State Park Campground includes scenic wooded areas.

High Points

Edison strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in New Jersey):

CategoryTrophy
Public Transportation Use
(vs. Peers)		Top 8%Edison Public Transportation Use
Median Family Income
(vs. Peers)		Top 13%Edison Median Family Income
Well-Paid Single Men
(vs. Peers)		Top 13%Edison Well-Paid Single Men
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)		Top 15%Edison Racial Diversity
Well-Paid Single Women
(vs. Peers)		Top 15%Edison Well-Paid Single Women
College Educated Adults
(vs. Peers)		Top 17%Edison College Educated Adults
People in Middle Class or Better
(vs. Peers)		Top 17%Edison People in Middle Class or Better

Comparative Profile of Edison, NJ

Comparing Edison to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in New Jersey (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Well-Paid Single Men97
Well-Paid Single Women97
Racial Diversity89
Male Share of the Population77
Age of the Population73
Senior Citizens54
Children Under 5 Years Old46
Female Share of the Population44

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Portion of People Married97
Average Household Size87

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Median Family Income97
People in Middle Class or Better96
College Educated Adults98
People Above Poverty85

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Public Transportation Use109
Walking and Biking to Work46
Working at Home33
Short Commute Times13

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals99
Housing Recently Built68
Seasonal and Vacation Housing34
People Living Alone34
Affordability of Rents23
Affordability of Property Taxes15

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Low Property Crime83
Low Violent Crime84

Detailed pages on related topics: Edison colleges • Edison travel • Edison mortgage and property.

You are visiting:
All States > New Jersey > Edison

Additional Details

Edison CareersEdison Careers
Edison career and employment information.
Edison CollegesEdison Colleges
Edison colleges and trade schools.
Edison Hotels & TravelEdison Hotels & Travel
Edison hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Edison MortgageEdison Mortgage
Edison property, mortgage, and real estate.

Career and College Resources on CityTownInfo

Real-World Career Reports

Career Stories from workers: daily activities, job tips, best/worst job aspects, training, etc.

Career Videos. Professional videos on 800+ jobs, featuring actual employees.

Daily Career & Education News from our staff. We're an approved Google News provider!

Career Reference and Data

Resource Center. A starting point for all CityTownInfo career and college resources.

Career Overviews of hundreds of careers: descriptions, salaries, forecasts, schools, more.

Top Cities for each career. Lists and maps; salaries by city.

Top Industries. Lists of major hiring industries by career, with salaries.

City Comparisons, showing most common jobs, highest paying, etc.

Original Career Articles and Studies

Best Careers Not Requiring Degrees: Good pay, job growth, low need for degrees.

Helpful Articles, many in "how-to" format; e.g., "How to Become a Chef".

Interactive College Search Tools

College Search Scout™. Search by degree, location, major, athletics, etc.

CollegeMatch™. Find school most similar to one of interest.

College Directories and Lists

These lists link to thousands of detailed school profiles.

Colleges by State. Nearly every college and trade school in the country.

Colleges Listed Alphabetically. About 7,000 colleges & trade schools, including online schools.

Exceptional Schools. Lists of the "best/most/highest/lowest" schools.

Places Similar to Edison

We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Find places similar to Edison

Additional Resources


Large City Map

Info for Edison Government Officials

Are you an official in the Edison government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.

Spread The Word

Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Edison. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.


Copyright © 2004-2009, Moving Traffic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.