Cranford, New Jersey Population, Hospitals, Airports, and Schools

by btobers · Published June 30, 2019 · Updated September 12, 2024

Cranford is a small, suburban township located in Union County, New Jersey. It is situated along the banks of the Rahway River and is home to just over 24,000 people. The town was first established in 1871 and has since become a popular place to call home due to its proximity to New York City and Newark Airport.

Cranford is known for its charming downtown area which features an array of shops, restaurants, cafes and boutiques. The town also boasts numerous parks and open spaces for residents to enjoy. On summer days, locals can be found at Nomahegan Park enjoying a picnic or playing tennis or basketball on the courts. For those looking for a more adventurous experience, there are plenty of hiking trails around Cranford’s many wooded areas.

The schools in Cranford are highly regarded with several elementary schools receiving awards from the state of New Jersey. The high school was recently ranked by US News & World Report as one of the top 100 schools in the country. The district also offers a variety of extracurricular activities such as sports teams, theater productions and music ensembles that allow students to explore their passions outside of the classroom.

Cranford prides itself on being an inclusive community with many different religious denominations represented among its residents. Every year, locals gather together for events such as Cranfest which celebrates local businesses and organizations or Cranford Day which honors those who have served in the military with a parade down Main Street.

The town also hosts several annual festivals including Cranberry Fest which celebrates cranberry harvesting season in October and Irish Day which honors the town’s Irish heritage every March 17th (St Patrick’s Day). In addition to these events, there are numerous other activities that take place throughout the year such as farmers markets or movie nights at Nomahegan Park during summer months or holiday celebrations like Christmas on North Avenue during December holidays.

Overall, Cranford is an ideal place for families looking for a safe environment with excellent schools and plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained all year round.

Population: 22,578
Males: 10,724 (47.5%), Females: 11,854 (52.5%)

Union County

Demographics

Median resident age: 40.4 years
Median household income: $76,338
Median house value: $233,600

Population by Race

Races in Cranford:

White Non-Hispanic (90.6%)
Hispanic (3.9%)
Black (2.6%)
Two or more races (0.8%)
Chinese (0.8%)
Other race (0.7%)
Asian Indian (0.5%)

Ancestries: Italian (25.4%), Irish (24.6%), German (18.1%), Polish (12.0%), English (7.2%), Russian (3.3%).

Elevation: 81 feet

Land area: 4.8 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Cranford

High school or higher: 91.5%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 43.0%
Graduate or professional degree: 16.0%
Unemployed: 4.1%
Mean travel time to work: 29.8 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Cranford CDP

Never married: 22.1%
Now married: 63.5%
Separated: 1.0%
Widowed: 8.0%
Divorced: 5.5%

8.7% Foreign born (4.8% Europe, 1.8% Latin America, 1.7% Asia).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers near Cranford:

TRINITAS HOSPITAL (about 1 miles; ELIZABETH, NJ)
MUHLENBERG REGIONAL MED CTR (about 1 miles; PLAINFIELD, NJ)
OVERLOOK HOSPITAL (about 1 miles; SUMMIT, NJ)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Cranford:

NEWARK LIBERTY INTL (about 10 miles; NEWARK, NJ; Abbreviation: EWR)
PORT AUTH-DWNTN-MANHATTAN/WALL ST (about 22 miles; NEW YORK, NY; Abbreviation: JRB)
TETERBORO (about 23 miles; TETERBORO, NJ; Abbreviation: TEB)

Other public-use airports nearest to Cranford:

LINDEN (about 6 miles; LINDEN, NJ; Abbreviation: LDJ)
MORRISTOWN MUNI (about 11 miles; MORRISTOWN, NJ; Abbreviation: MMU)
NEWARK NR 1 (about 12 miles; NEWARK, NJ; Abbreviation: 3N4)

Amtrak stations near Cranford:

7 miles: METROPARK (ISELIN, 100 MIDDLESEX-ESSEX TPK.). Services: ticket office, fully wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, paid short-term parking, call for car rental service, taxi stand, public transit connection.
8 miles: NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NEWARK, ). Services: ticket office, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones.
11 miles: NEWARK (RAYMOND PLAZA WEST). Services: ticket office, fully wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, snack bar, ATM, paid short-term parking, paid long-term parking, call for car rental service, taxi stand, intercity bus service, public transit connection.

Colleges and Universities

College/University in Cranford:

UNION COUNTY COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 5,856; Location: 1033 SPRINGFIELD AVE; Public; Website: www.ucc.edu)

Other colleges/universities with over 2000 students near Cranford:

KEAN UNIVERSITY (about 4 miles; UNION, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 8,627)
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY (about 8 miles; SOUTH ORANGE, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 7,509)
DREW UNIVERSITY (about 11 miles; MADISON, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 2,133)
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEWARK (about 11 miles; NEWARK, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 6,878)
NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (about 11 miles; NEWARK, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 6,565)
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE (about 11 miles; NEWARK, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 5,893)
UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY OF NEW JERSEY (about 11 miles; NEWARK, NJ; Full-time enrollment: 4,134)

Schools

Public high school in Cranford:

CRANFORD SR HIGH (Students: 1,072; Location: 201 WEST END PLACE; Grades: 09 – 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Cranford:

ORANGE AVE SCH (Students: 686; Location: 901 ORANGE AVENUE; Grades: 03 – 08)
HILLSIDE AVE SCH (Students: 641; Location: 125 HILLSIDE AVENUE; Grades: KG – 08)
BROOKSIDE PLACE (Students: 382; Location: 700 BROOKSIDE PLACE; Grades: KG – 05)
BLOOMINGDALE AVE SCH (Students: 276; Location: 200 BLOOMINGDALE AVENUE; Grades: PK – 02)
WALNUT AVE SCH (Students: 240; Location: 370 WALNUT AVENUE; Grades: PK – 02)
LIVINGSTON AVE SCH (Students: 222; Location: 75 LIVINGSTON AVENUE; Grades: 03 – 05)

Private primary/middle schools in Cranford:

SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL (Students: 433; Location: 721 ORANGE AVENUE; Grades: PK – 5)
ST MICHAEL SCHOOL (Students: 424; Location: 100 ALDEN STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
CRANFORD CHILD CARE CTR (Students: 61; Location: 7 CHERRY ST; Grades: PK – KG)

Libraries

Library in Cranford:

CRANFORD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $832,406; Location: 224 WALNUT AVENUE, BOX 400; 110,249 books; 4,150 audio materials; 1,484 video materials; 208 serial subscriptions)