Kearny, NJ - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Kearny

Kearny is a single-town school district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Hudson County. The district operates seven schools: one high school, one middle school, and five elementary schools. The enrollment is large for a K-12 system, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a White population as the next largest group and small shares of Asian, Black, multiracial, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available.

On state assessments, the district's performance falls in the bottom quartile among Hudson County's districts on an overall proficiency measure across tested subjects and grades. Looking at the grade-level results provides a more detailed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates by grade hover around the mid-to-high thirties and low forties, with a notable uptick in eighth grade, where roughly half of students scored proficient or above. In mathematics, the pattern is weaker and drops as students get older. The third-grade math proficiency rate is around two-fifths, but by eighth grade it falls to the range of one in six students. Science results, available for fifth and eighth grades, show that about one in five fifth graders and roughly one in ten eighth graders met the state's proficiency benchmark. These are soft spots, and a parent may want to ask the district about its approach to math and science instruction in the upper grades.

Chronic absenteeism, a measure of how many students miss a substantial share of school days, sits below the midpoint among the county's districts, meaning Kearny's rate is higher than the median but not the worst in the county. Per-pupil current spending is in the middle range and upper half compared to other Hudson County districts.

Kearny is a single community, making the district and the town the same for a resident. The housing market is expensive. Typical home values and rents are above national medians, though below the New Jersey state benchmark for home values. Affordability is a practical concern: estimated monthly mortgage costs outpace typical rents, and housing costs account for a substantial share of median income, a pattern common in this part of the metro area.

The district brief looked for recent changes such as referenda, curriculum updates, budget and tax shifts, construction, or policy changes, and found little of lasting impact from the publicly reported span. There is no indication of major recent disruptions or transformations.

This district fits a family looking for a comprehensive, single-community school system in a dense suburban setting with a heavily Hispanic student population. The academic numbers suggest the district faces headwinds, especially in math and science, and the bottom-quartile proficiency placement in the county is a real consideration. A parent with children who are strong in literacy may find the middle school English language arts results more encouraging than the math trajectory. For those weighing Kearny, a conversation with the district about academic supports and intervention strategies, particularly in the secondary grades, would be a natural next step.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

5,435

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 68%

Black 2%

White 25%

Asian 3%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

27%

52%

Gr 4

35%

45%

Gr 5

34%

51%

Gr 6

46%

51%

Gr 7

33%

53%

Gr 8

49%

Math

Gr 3

31%

57%

Gr 4

26%

31%

Gr 5

21%

40%

Gr 6

27%

Gr 7

18%

30%

Gr 8

17%

18%

Science

Gr 5

18%

34%

Gr 8

13%

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

Kearny High School

Franklin Elementary School

Garfield Elementary School

Lincoln Middle School

Roosevelt Elementary School

Schuyler Elementary School

Washington Elementary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

40%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

26%

Grade 5

27%

Grade 6

21%

Grade 7

18%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

36%

Grade 3

38%

Grade 4

39%

Grade 5

47%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

49%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

23%

Grade 5

11%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$581,183

Year-over-year change+3.2%

vs. state typical1.02x

vs. national typical1.58x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
07032	Kearny	$581K	+3.2%	100.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,399/mo

Year-over-year change+2.0%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
07032	Kearny	$2,399	+2.0%	100.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,933/mo

Home price / national median income6.9x

Annual rent / national median income34.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$534/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$571,373 (+3.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.