Best Places for Families to Live in New Jersey

Many factors combine to make New Jersey a wonderful place for families to live in. Not only is it one of the wealthiest nations in the United States, but it also has one of the highest median household incomes. Good schools, high safety factor, and fun activities collaborate to rank New Jersey among the top places families would want to move to. However, with so many towns, cities, and neighborhoods to choose from, how can you narrow it down to the best options? Keep the stress aside, because we at Nextburb are here to assist you with that process and more.

Whether it’s competent education you’re looking at or safety, Nextburb provides you with options based on your criteria list. Let’s look at some of the places in New Jersey that are the best to raise a family in:

Mountain Lakes

Mountain Lakes is a borough located in Morris County. It has a population of 4,274 and a median age of 43. The per capita income in Mountain Lakes NJ is $96,402 and the median household income is $225,208. Having an A+ overall crime grade, Mountain Lakes NJ falls in the 99th percentile for safety and the crime rate is 6.58 per 1,000 residents in a given year. It has a C+ grade in diversity, and some of the public schools to be found in and near Mountain Lakes NJ include Wildwood Elementary School, Briarcliff Middle School, and Mountain Lakes High School.

Princeton Junction

Princeton Junction is located within West Windsor Township in Mercer County. The population of Princeton Junction NJ is 2,550 and it has a median age of 46. The median household income in Princeton Junction is $228,357 and the per capita income is $99,501.

The public schools in and near Princeton Junction NJ are Dutch Neck Elementary School, Maurice Hawk Elementary School, Village School, Thomas R, Grover Middle School, and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. With an A+ overall crime grade, Princeton Junction NJ falls in the 96th percentile for safety and the crime rate in a given year is 9.32 per 1,000 residents.

Short Hills

Having a population of 13,134 and a median age of 42, Short Hills is a place situated within Millburn Township in Essex County. It has a per capita income of $128,558 and a median household income of $250,000.

Having an overall crime grade of A, it falls in the 91st percentile for safety. The crime rate in Short Hills NJ during a standard year is 12.56 per 1,000 residents. The public schools in and near Short Hills NJ are Washington School, Wyoming School, Glenwood Elementary School, Hartshorn Elementary School, Deerfield Elementary School, and South Mountain Elementary School.

Haworth

Haworth is a township located in Bergen County. Its per capita income is $68,349 and the median household income is $181,500. With a population of 3,418 and a median age of 46, it has an overall crime grade of A+. In a given year, the crime rate in Haworth NJ is 8.20 per 1,000 residents. The public school to take note of in the township of Haworth NJ is Haworth Public School.

Ridgewood

With a population of 25,269 and a median age of 42, Ridgewood is situated in Bergen County. The median household income of Ridgewood NJ is $178,958 and the per capita income is $84,565. The public schools in Ridgewood NJ include Orchard Elementary School, Hawes Elementary School, Somerville Elementary School, Willard Elementary School, Travell Elementary School, Benjamin Franklin Middle School, George Washington Middle School, and Ridgewood High School.

The crime rate in Ridgewood NJ in a year is 11.85 per 1,000 residents. It has an overall crime grade of A and falls in the 92nd percentile for safety.

Chatham

A borough located in Morris County, Chatham has a population of 10,378 and a median age of 43.3. In a given year, the crime rate in Chatham NJ is 6.82 per 1,000 residents. It falls in the 99th percentile for safety and has an A+ overall crime grade. Chatham NJ has a per capita income of $107,932 and a median household income of $202,000. The public schools in the borough of Chatham NJ are Lafayette School, Chatham Middle School, and Chatham High School.

Glen Rock

Glen Rock is a borough in Bergen County, with a population of 11,826 and a median age of 41. Falling in the 96th percentile for safety and having an A+ overall crime grade, the crime rate in Glen Rock NJ is 9.87 per 1,000 residents in a year. The median household income in Glen Rock NJ is $178,607 and the per capita income is $68,354. The public schools in and near Glen Rock NJ include Alexander Hamilton School, Central Elementary School, Clara E. Coleman Elementary School, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock Middle School, and Glen Rock High School.

Allendale

Having a population of 6,762 and a median age of 44, Allendale is a borough situated in Bergen County. It has a per capita income of $82,671 and a median household income of $157,958. The public schools in the borough of Allendale NJ are Brookside Middle School and Northern Highlands High School. With an A+ overall crime grade and falling in the 98th percentile for safety, the crime rate in Allendale NJ in a year is 7.56 per 1,000 residents.

Closter

Situated in Bergen County, Closter has a median age of 45 and a population of 8,585. It has a median household income of $143,947 and a per capita income of $62,561. The public schools in Closter NJ include Hillside Elementary School and Tenakill Middle School. The crime rate in a standard year in Closter NJ is 8.55 per 1,000 residents. It falls in the 97th percentile for safety and has an A+ overall crime grade.

Westfield

Westfieldis a town located in Union County. Its population is 30,086 and median age is 42. The per capita income in Westfield NJ is $79,894 and the median household income is $158,323. An A+ overall crime grade makes Westfield NJ a safe town to live in. It falls in the 97th percentile for safety and the crime rate in Westfield NJ in a year is 8.60 per 1,000 residents. The public schools in Westfield NJ are Washington Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, Tamaques Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, Roosevelt Intermediate School, Edison Intermediate School, and Westfield High School.

Demarest

A borough in Bergen County with a population of 4,959, Demarest has a median age of 44. The crime rate in Demarest NJ in a year is 7.92 per 1,000 residents. The borough falls in the 98th percentile for safety and has an A+ overall crime grade, making it one of the safest places in New Jersey. Demarest NJ’s median household income is $153,558 and the per capita income is $82,261. Some of the public schools in Demarest NJ include Demarest Middle School, Luther Lee Emerson School, and Northern Valley Regional High School.

Summit

A city in Union County with a median age of 40, the population in Summit NJ is 21,921. The median household income in Summit is $142,845 and the per capita income is $87,019. Summit NJ has public schools such as Lincoln Hubbard Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, Brayton Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School, and Summit High School.

Speaking of the safety aspect, Summit NJ has an overall crime grade of A+ and falls in the 97th percentile for safety. The crime rate in Summit NJ in a given year is 9.07 per 1,000 residents.

Madison

Madison is a borough you can find in Morris County. Its population is 16,042 and median age is 40. The crime rate in Madison NJ during a given year is 8.63 per 1,000 residents. It falls in the 97th percentile for safety and has an overall A+ crime grade.

The public schools in Madison NJ include Torey J. Sabatini Elementary School, Central Avenue School, Kings Road School, Madison Junior School, and Madison High School. The per capita income in Madison NJ is $76,067 and the median household income is $157,188.

Tenafly

A borough that has a population of 14,687 and a median age of 43, Tenafly is located in Bergen County. The median household income in the borough of Tenafly NJ is $180,601 and the per capita income is $76,978. Tenafly falls in the 96th percentile for safety, has an A+ overall crime grade, and the crime rate is 9.27 per 1,000 residents in a year. The public schools in Tenafly NJ include J. Spencer Smith Elementary School, Mackay Elementary School, Maugham Elementary School, Stillman Elementary School, Tenafly Middle School, and Tenafly High School.

River Edge

River Edge is a borough in Bergen County with a median age of 40 and a population of 11,530. The public schools one can find in River Edge NJ are Cherry Hill Elementary School, Roosevelt Elementary School, and River Dell Middle School. The per capita income in River Edge NJ is $61,378 and the median household income is $128,231. River Edge NJ has an overall crime grade of A, falls in the 92nd percentile for safety, and the crime rate in the borough is 12.01 per 1,000 residents in a year.