Survey Finds One in Three New Jersey Homeowners Has No Home Security System
What Security Systems Do NJ Homeowners Have?
How Often Homeowners Leave Without Checking Doors?
Spare Key Hidden Outside the Home?
Last Time Ground-Floor Windows Were Checked
If Your Alarm Went Off Right Now - Do You Have a Plan?
Independent study of 500 NJ homeowners reveals significant gaps in security habits and system adoption across the state
Numbers tell a story we see every day. Burglars don't need special equipment — they rely on human habits. A hidden spare key, a window that hasn't been checked in years: that's all it takes.”
NJ, UNITED STATES, April 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new independent survey of 500 New Jersey homeowners has found that 33.4% have no home security system of any kind — no alarm, no cameras, and no monitoring. The research, commissioned by BGS Security and conducted in March 2026 via Pollfish, examined security system adoption, daily security habits, alarm preparedness, and barriers to adoption among homeowners statewide.— Robert Oprea, BGS Security
The findings reveal that gaps in residential security are widespread and consistent across age groups, income levels, and home types.
Survey Findings: System Adoption
Among the 500 respondents, only 25.8% reported having a professionally monitored alarm system. An additional 26.6% have security cameras but no alarm system — meaning that in the event of unauthorised entry, no active alert would be triggered. The remaining third reported no security infrastructure of any kind.
Figure1.
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Income did not emerge as a reliable predictor of security system adoption. Among respondents earning over $100,000 annually, a substantial portion reported no professional monitoring. Cost was cited as the leading barrier to adoption by 30.4% of respondents, a figure that remained consistent across all income brackets surveyed.
Survey Findings: Daily Security Habits
The survey found that 45.6% of NJ homeowners leave home without verifying that all doors are locked at least occasionally. This includes 11.4% who report doing so several times per week, and 1.8% who report always forgetting at least one door.
Figure2.
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22% of respondents reported keeping a spare key hidden outside the home — under a mat, in a flowerpot, or above a door frame. Of that group, 26% also reported having no alarm system.
Figure3.
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17.2% of respondents could not recall the last time they checked whether their ground-floor windows lock properly, or reported never having checked. Among that group, 50% also had no security system of any kind.
Figure4.
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Survey Findings: Alarm Preparedness
Among homeowners who reported having an alarm system — monitored or basic — 35% said they did not have a clear action plan for what to do if the alarm activated. When asked what they would do in the first 60 seconds of an alarm event, this group indicated they were either unsure or had not formalized a response.
Figure5.
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24% of all respondents reported having left their home completely unattended for more than three days without notifying a neighbor or setting up additional monitoring. Of that group, 38.3% had no alarm system.
Survey Findings: Barriers to Adoption
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30.4% of respondents cited cost as the primary reason for not installing or upgrading a security system. 19.8% reported that a perception of neighborhood safety was the main factor. 18.6% reported never having thought seriously about home security. 11.2% cited a lack of knowledge about how to begin the process.
About the Survey
BGS Security commissioned an independent online survey of 500 homeowners residing in New Jersey, conducted in March 2026 via Pollfish. Respondents were screened to confirm active home ownership and New Jersey residency. The survey covered 10 questions on security system adoption, daily security habits, alarm preparedness, and barriers to adoption. The margin of error is approximately ±4.4% at a 95% confidence level. The full 2026 NJ Home Security Reality Report is available at bgs.us.
About BGS Security
BGS Security is a New Jersey-based home security company specializing in professional alarm monitoring and security system installation. BGS Security serves residential and commercial clients across New Jersey.
Robert Oprea
BGS Security Division LLC
+1 640-250-7979
marketing@bgs.us
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