Draft_October 2025_West Orange_HEFSP_with Appendices

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Household Costs Tables 9 and 10 below show the expenditures for housing as a percentage of household income for those who own and rent in West Orange and Essex County. In 2023, a majority of Township residents lived in homes they owned, whereas the County saw similar rates of home ownership and renting. General affordability standards set a limit at 30% of gross income to be allocated for owner-occupied housing costs and 28% of gross income to be allocated for renter-occupied housing costs. Approximately 31% of Township residents who owned the units they occupied spent 30% or more of their household income on housing, as compared to 51% of Township residents who rented the units they occupied. These figures were on par with those of the County. Table 9: Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income, 2023 West Orange and Essex County West Orange Essex County Number Percent Number Percent Total Owner-Occupied Housing Units 12,244 100.0% 146,736 100.0% Less than 20.0% 5,373 43.9% 69,206 47.2% 20.0 to 24.9% 1,858 15.2% 16,773 11.4% 25.0 to 29.9% 1,155 9.4% 10,922 7.4% 30.0 to 34.9% 645 5.3% 9,922 6.8% 35.0% or more 3,144 25.7% 38,962 26.6% Not computed 69 0.6% 951 0.6% Source: 2023 American Community 5-Year Estimates, Table DP04 Table 10: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income, 2023 West Orange and Essex County West Orange Essex County Number Percent Number Percent Total Renter-Occupied Housing Units 5,196 100.00% 175,720 100.00% Less than 15% 575 11.1% 20,260 11.5% 15.0 to 19.9% 781 15.0% 18,661 10.6% 20.0 to 24.9% 653 12.6% 18,055 10.3% 25.0 to 29.9% 312 6.0% 19,648 11.2% 30.0 to 34.9% 360 6.9% 14,069 8.0% 35.0% or more 2289 44.1% 75,019 42.7% Not computed 226 4.3% 10,008 5.7% Source: 2023 American Community 5-Year Estimates, Table B25070 21

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXISTING HOUSING CONDITIONS Housing Unit Data West Orange’s housing stock is largely comprised of structures built prior to the year 1970. In 2023, West Orange had a total of 18,277 occupied housing units, roughly 67% of which were owner-occupied and 28% of which were renter-occupied. The Township experienced housing booms from 1950 to 1960, during which approximately 24% of the Township’s housing structures were constructed. According to 2023 American Community Survey Estimates, the Township has seen very few housing structures built between 2000 or later. The median year of construction for housing stock in West Orange is 1956. This data is outlined in Tables 11 and 12 below. Table 11: Housing Data, 2023 Total Housing Units West Orange % of Total Housing Number Units 18,277 100.00% Occupied Housing Units 17,440 95.4% 100.00% Owner Occupied 12,244 67.0% 70.2% Renter Occupied 5196 28.4% 29.8% Vacant Housing Units 837 4.6% - % of Occupied Housing Units - Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP04 Table 12: Year Structure Built, 2023 West Orange Number Percent Total Housing Units 18,277 100.00% Built 1939 or earlier 4,629 25.3% Built 1940 to 1949 1,944 10.6% Built 1950 to 1959 4,386 24.0% Built 1960 to 1969 2,013 11.0% Built 1970 to 1979 1,432 7.8% Built 1980 to 1989 1,159 6.3% Built 1990 to 1999 1,249 6.8% Built 2000 to 2009 832 4.6% Built 2010 to 2019 633 3.5% Built 2020 or later 0 0.0% Median Year Structure Built 1956 Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables B25034 and B25035 22

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- According to the 2023 American Community Survey, West Orange has a high occupancy rate, with very few of their housing units vacant. Of West Orange’s 18,277 housing units, 17,440 (95.4%) were occupied and only 837 (4.6%) were vacant. Nearly two-thirds (60.9%) of vacant units could be attributed to the “Other Vacant” category, with “For Rent/Rented Not Occupied” making up another 30.5%, and “For Sale Only”, “Sold, Not Occupied”, and “For Seasonal, Recreational or Occasional Use” accounting for the remaining 8.6%. This data is represented in Table 13 below. Table 13: Housing Occupancy, 2023 West Orange % of Total Total Housing Units Total Housing Units 18,277 100.00% Occupied 17,440 95.4% Vacant Housing Units 837 4.6% For Rent/Rented Not Occupied 255 1.4% For Sale Only 25 0.1% Sold, not occupied 26 0.1% For Seasonal, Recreational or 21 0.1% Occasional Use For migrant workers 0 0.0% Other Vacant 510 2.8% Source: ACS 5-Year DP04 and B25004 23 % of Vacant Housing Units 100.0% 30.5% 3.0% 3.1% 2.5% 0.0% 60.9%

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Housing Type and Size In 2023, single-family detached housing made up the vast majority of the Township’s housing stock at 54.7%. Twenty or more-unit housing was the next most common housing type, representing 12.2% of the Township’s housing stock. The median number of rooms within housing structures in the Township was 6.3, with nearly 63% of housing units having a minimum of 6 rooms and less than 8% of housing units having 2 or less rooms. Table 14: Housing Type and Size, 2023 West Orange Units in Structure Total Percent 1, detached 9,993 54.7% 1, attached 1,624 8.9% 2 1,983 10.8% 3 or 4 1,197 6.5% 5 to 9 521 2.9% 10 to 19 610 3.3% 20 or more 2,234 12.2% Mobile home 51 0.3% Boat, RV, van, etc. 64 0.4% Total Housing Units 18,277 100.00% Rooms Total Percent 1 room 824 4.5% 2 rooms 638 3.5% 3 rooms 1,325 7.2% 4 rooms 1,734 9.5% 5 rooms 2,295 12.6% 6 rooms 2,788 15.3% 7 rooms 3,089 16.9% 8 rooms 2,038 11.2% 9 or more rooms 3,546 19.4% Total Housing Units 18,277 100.00% Median number of rooms 6.3 Source: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Tables DP04 and B25024 24

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Housing Growth and Projections In terms of residential growth, the issuance of building permits serves as one of the indicators that help to determine housing needs in a given municipality. Table 15 below illustrates the number of building permits that were issued over the 10-year period between January 2015 through December 2024, when the Township issued building permits authorizing the development of 861 housing units. Within this time frame, the busiest years for building permits occurred in 2016 and 2022, with roughly 72% of all building permits since 2015 having been issued in those years. The vast majority of the permits issued during this time frame were for multi-family homes, while only 73 permits were issued for one-to-two family homes and two were issued for multifamily structures. Further, throughout the same 10-year period, West Orange issued permits authorizing the demolition of 14 units. If the demolition rate were to remain relatively constant over the next approximately 10-year period, an additional 14 residential units could be expected to be demolished between January 2025 and January 2035, resulting in a projected net increase of 847 units. Table 15: Housing Units Authorized by Building Permits, 2015-2024 West Orange Year 1 & 2 Family Multi Family Mixed-Use 2015 13 0 1 2016 7 299 0 2017 12 0 0 2018 8 100 0 2019 6 0 0 2020 9 0 0 2021 4 0 0 2022 8 304 0 2023 1 82 0 2024* 5 1 1 Total 2014-2024 73 786 2 10-Year Average 10-Year Permit Projection (2025-2035) Source: State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Building Permits: Yearly Summary Data *Note: 2024 Data includes January-November 25 Total 14 306 12 108 6 9 4 312 83 7 861 86.1 861

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 16: Housing Units Demolished by Building Permits, 2015-2024 West Orange Year 1 & 2 Family Multi Family Mixed-Use Total 2015 1 0 0 1 2016 2 0 0 2 2017 1 0 0 1 2018 1 0 0 1 2019 1 0 0 1 2020 4 0 0 4 2021 1 0 0 1 2022 1 0 0 1 2023 1 0 0 1 2024* 1 0 0 1 Total 2014-2024 14 0 0 14 10-Year Average 1.4 10-Year Demolition Projection (2025-2035) 14 Source: State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Building Permits: Yearly Summary Data *Note: 2024 Data includes January-November Housing Values and Contract Rents According to the 2023 American Community Survey, over half (54.2%) of the owner-occupied housing stock in West Orange in 2023 was valued at over $500,000; 52.4% of the County’s housing stock is valued at this same range. In addition, the Township’s median home value ($527,900) was similar to that of the County ($522,800). This data is outlined in Table 17 below. Table 17: Value for Owner-Occupied Housing Units, 2023 West Orange and Essex County West Orange Essex County Number Percent Number Percent Total 12,244 100.0% 146,736 100.0% Less than $50,000 167 1.4% 4,894 3.3% $50,000 to $99,999 174 1.4% 1,594 1.1% $100,000 to $149,999 26 0.2% 2,713 1.8% $150,000 to $199,999 149 1.2% 3,123 2.1% $200,000 to $299,999 980 8.0% 10,662 7.3% $300,000 to $499,999 4111 33.6% 46,881 31.9% $500,000 to $999,999 6,042 49.3% 58,768 40.1% $1,00,000 and greater 595 4.9% 18,101 12.3% Median Value $527,900 $522,800 Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables B25075 and B25077 26

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As shown in Table 18 below, it is estimated that 8,171 (66.7%) of owner-occupied units in the Township were financed by a primary mortgage, contract to purchase, or similar debt. Of those units, 89.3% did not have any additional lines of credit associated with the unit, while 6.4% were associated with a home equity loan, 0.4% were associated with both a second mortgage and a home equity loan, 2.6% were associated with a home equity loan without a primary mortgage, and 1.3% were associated with just a second mortgage. There were slightly more owner-occupied housing units with a mortgage at the County level; more specifically, 69.1% of such units had a primary mortgage. Of those units in the County tied to a primary mortgage, 87.2% did not have any additional lines of credit associated with the unit, while 7.5% were associated with a home equity loan, 1.3% were associated with a second mortgage, 0.8% were associated with both a second mortgage and a home equity loan, and 3.1% were associated with a home equity loan without a primary mortgage. Table 18: Mortgage Status, 2023 West Orange and Essex County West Orange Total Owner-Occupied Units Owner-Occupied Housing Units with a Mortgage With multiple mortgages: Mortgage with both second mortgage and home equity loan Home equity loan only Second mortgage only No second mortgage and no home equity loan Home equity loan without a primary mortgage Owner-Occupied Housing units without a mortgage Essex County Number % of Total Units 12,244 8,171 657 100.00% 66.7% 5.4% % of Units with Mortgage 100.00% 8.0% 30 - 524 103 7,300 214 4,073 59.6% 1.7% 33.3% Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B25081 27 Number % of Total Units 146,736 101,404 9,805 100.00% 69.1% 6.7% % of Units with Mortgage 100.00% 9.7% 0.4% 852 - 0.8% 6.4% 1.3% 89.3% 2.6% - 7,587 1,366 88,461 3,138 45,332 60.3% 2.1% 30.9% 7.5% 1.3% 87.2% 3.1% -

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As shown in Table 19 below, the median contract rent in West Orange in 2023 was $1,689 which was roughly $370 higher than the County median rent of $1,313. Within the Township, the highest percentage of renters paid between $1,500 to $1,999 for monthly rent (38.7%), followed by $1,000 to $1,499 (22.8%), and $2,000 to $2,499 (13.7%). Overall, over three-quarters (75.2%) of renters in the Township paid between $1,000 and $2,499 for monthly rent in 2023. At the County level nearly half (61.7%) of renters paid between $1,000 to $2,499 for monthly rent, and there was a significantly higher occurrence of renters paying less than $1,000 for rent (29.9%). This data suggests that rent in the Township is not as affordable as it is throughout the County as a whole. Table 19: Contract Rent, 2023 West Orange and Essex County West Orange Number Percent Total Renter-Occupied Units 5,027 100.0% Less than $500 311 6.2% $500 to $999 321 6.4% $1,000 to $1,499 1,145 22.8% $1,500 to $1,999 1,947 38.7% $2,000 to $2,499 691 13.7% $2,500 to $2,999 111 2.2% $3,000 or More 501 10.0% No Rent Paid 169 3.4% Median Contract Rent $1,689 Essex County Number Percent 175,720 100.0% 20,709 11.8% 31,732 18.1% 52,509 29.9% 43,550 24.8% 12,223 7.0% 5,079 2.9% 5,568 3.2% 4,350 2.5% $1,313 Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B25056 and B25058 28

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Housing Conditions Table 20 below details the conditions of the Township’s housing stock in 2023. Overcrowding and age, plumbing, and kitchen facilities are used to determine housing deficiency. In 2023, over three-quarters (78.6%) of the Townships housing stock relied on utility gas for heating, followed by electricity (12.3%). A total of 430 (2.5%) occupied housing units experienced overcrowding (more than one person per room). Throughout the Township, there were 23 (0.1%) occupied housing units that lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 386 (2.2%) that lacked complete kitchen facilities, and only 78 (0.4%) units lacked telephone service. Table 20: Housing Conditions, 2023 West Orange Number Percent House Heating Fuel-Occupied Housing Units Total 17,440 100.0% Utility gas 13,703 78.6% Bottled, tank, or LP gas 475 2.7% Electricity 2146 12.3% Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. 775 4.4% Coal or coke 0 0.0% Wood 0 0.0% Solar energy 0 0.0% Other fuel 97 0.6% No fuel used 244 1.4% Occupants per Room – Occupied Housing Units Total 17,440 100.0% 1.00 or Less 17,010 97.5% 1.01 to 1.50 169 1.0% 1.51 or More 261 1.5% 17,440 100.0% Lacking complete plumbing facilities 23 0.1% Lacking complete kitchen facilities 386 2.2% Facilities – Total Units Total Telephone Service – Occupied Housing Units Total No Service 17,440 100.0% 78 0.4% Sources: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Tables DP04, B25047, B25051 29

Township of West Orange October 2025 Essex County, New Jersey Draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYMENT DATA Tables 21, 22, and 23 below detail the changes in employment between the years 2010 and 2023 in West Orange, Essex County, and New Jersey, respectively. Throughout this thirteen-year period, the Township saw an overall 3.6% decrease in its unemployment rate; although the Township experienced a 5.7% spike in unemployment between 2019 and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has rebounded to a considerably lower unemployment rate in recent years. This overall trend is mirrored at both the County and State level as well, although in comparison the Township has consistently exhibited a lower unemployment rate throughout this time period. In 2023, the Township’s unemployment rate was 4.3%, which was lower than that of the County (5.5%) and State (4.4%). Table 21: Employment and Residential Labor Force, 2011 to 2023 West Orange Labor Unemployment Year Employment Unemployment Force Rate 2011 23,964 22,063 1,901 7.9% 2012 24,113 22,110 2,003 8.3% 2013 23,789 22,017 1,772 7.4% 2014 23,621 22,195 1,426 6.0% 2015 23,682 22,468 1,214 5.1% 2016 23,536 22,501 1,035 4.4% 2017 24,502 23,523 979 4.0% 2018 24,341 23,452 889 3.7% 2019 24,737 23,960 777 3.1% 2020 24,367 22,214 2,153 8.8% 2021 24,400 22,836 1,564 6.4% 2022 24,821 23,907 914 3.7% 2023 25,337 24,257 1,080 4.3% Source: NJ Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development Labor Force Estimates 30