Market Value Analysis: Camden
Camden is among the poorest cities in the country, with more than 48% of its children estimated to be living in poverty. Yet Camden is positioned squarely between Philadelphia’s highly valued downtown and the quickly growing residential and commercial markets found in Haddonfield, Moorestown, Evesham, and Voorhees.
Working with government, the private sector, and local civic groups, TRF developed an MVA to help chart new development paths and opportunities for Camden, while framing the problems and possibilities of the city and other Southern New Jersey towns within the lens of regional development. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Ford Foundation funded this important work.
TRF conducted exhaustive analysis on Camden and its surrounding region, looking at data ranging from residential sale prices to local consumer credit scores. TRF also conducted extensive interviews with city and state officials, developers, law enforcement staff, small business proprietors, residents and others. The picture that began to emerge was both complex and alarming; Camden’s severe economic distress touched every aspect of the city and threatened the stability and vitality of its remaining stable communities as well as adjacent suburban communities.
Based on the knowledge it has gained, TRF was active in developing practical strategies to best leverage investments in Camden. TRF worked with city and state officials as well as with local community groups to develop an investment plan that could capitalize on existing and viable pockets of development in the city and preserve communities where possible.
In an effort to create a data-based framework for strategic reinvestment in Camden, New Jersey, TRF studied markets within the city and its surrounding towns. This map of Camden and its surrounding environs depicts market types from red for areas with high distress and vacancies to shades of blue for areas with strong markets and property values.
