Camden

About Camden

Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey, United States. Located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 71,791 at the 2020 census. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828. Camden has been the county seat of Camden County since the county's formation on March 13, 1844. The city derives its name from Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden. Camden is made up of over 20 neighborhoods, and is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

The initial growth of Camden industrially is often credited to the "big three" employers: RCA Victor, Campbell's Soup Company and New York Shipbuilding Corporation. The "big three" felt compelled to move away from Camden in the mid-to-late-20th century as they could find cheaper workers elsewhere. Though the city has declined in recent decades since the decline of heavy industry in the area and white flight to the suburbs, the city has made efforts to revitalize itself through various infrastructure and community projects.

Projects such as the redevelopment of the waterfront area brought three tourist attractions to the area: the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion and the Adventure Aquarium. The city is the home of Rutgers University–Camden, which was founded as the South Jersey Law School in 1926, and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which opened in 2012. Camden also houses both Cooper University Hospital and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Camden County College and Rowan University also have campuses in downtown Camden. The "eds and meds" institutions account for roughly 45% of Camden's total employment. The city has a massive Camden City Hall that is 18 floors tall and is the tallest building in Camden.

Once known for violent crime, the restructuring of the police force in 2013 has been credited for its decline. As of January 2021, violent crime was down 46% from its high in the 1990s and at the lowest level since the 1960s. Overall crime reports in 2020 were down 74% compared to 1974, the first year of uniform crime-reporting in the city. Eventually in 2025, Camden recorded its first homicide free summer in 50 years.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Camden weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Camden

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Camden

Median household income

$40,546

Median home value

$112,000

Median rent

$1,226/mo

Median age

33.3

Map of Camden

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Camden Street View

Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.

Camden, NJ population

Camden had 71,791 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Camden at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Camden

• Woodlynne1.5 mi SE
• Collingswood2.1 mi SE
• Oaklyn2.8 mi SE
• Audubon Park2.9 mi S
• Merchantville3.1 mi E
• Haddon3.2 mi SE
• Gloucester City3.2 mi S
• Pennsauken3.4 mi NE
• Westmont3.4 mi SE
• Golden Triangle3.6 mi E
• Audubon3.7 mi SE
• Brooklawn4.0 mi S

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Camden