Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is New Jersey a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in New Jersey.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Garden State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of New Jersey, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 21 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Garden State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New Jersey For 2021
Hunterdon County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in New Jersey. And you might want to avoid Cumberland County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move New Jersey, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Jersey and the cheapest places to live in New Jersey.
The Best Counties To Live In New Jersey For 2021
1. Hunterdon County
Biggest Place: Flemington
Population: 124,823
Median Income: $115,379 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $415,100.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (best)
More on Hunterdon County: Photos | Data
2. Morris County
Biggest Place: Morristown
Population: 493,379
Median Income: $115,527 (best)
Median Home Price: $456,200.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (3rd best)
More on Morris County: Photos | Data
3. Somerset County
Biggest Place: Somerset
Population: 329,838
Median Income: $113,611 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $430,700.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (5th best)
More on Somerset County: Photos | Data
4. Sussex County
Biggest Place: Hopatcong
Population: 141,483
Median Income: $94,520 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $267,500.0 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (7th best)
More on Sussex County: Photos | Data
5. Bergen County
Biggest Place: Hackensack
Population: 930,390
Median Income: $101,144 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $469,500.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (2nd best)
More on Bergen County: Photos | Data
6. Monmouth County
Biggest Place: Long Branch
Population: 621,659
Median Income: $99,733 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $421,900.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (6th best)
More on Monmouth County: Photos | Data
7. Burlington County
Biggest Place: Moorestown-Lenola
Population: 445,702
Median Income: $87,416 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $251,200.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (13th best)
More on Burlington County: Photos | Data
8. Middlesex County
Biggest Place: New Brunswick
Population: 825,920
Median Income: $89,533 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $344,100.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (9th best)
More on Middlesex County: Photos | Data
9. Gloucester County
Biggest Place: Glassboro
Population: 291,165
Median Income: $87,283 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $219,700.0 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (11th best)
More on Gloucester County: Photos | Data
10. Warren County
Biggest Place: Phillipsburg
Population: 105,862
Median Income: $81,307 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $264,200.0 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.9% (14th best)
More on Warren County: Photos | Data
How do you determine which New Jersey county is the best?
To give you the best county in New Jersey, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in New Jersey across each of the criteria from one to 21, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In New Jersey”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Garden State.
Read on to see why Hunterdon County is the best county, while Cumberland County is probably in contention for being the worst county in New Jersey.
There You Have It – The Best Counties In New Jersey To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in New Jersey can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in New Jersey according to the data:
- Cumberland County
- Salem County
- Camden County
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Richest Cities In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Best Places To Retire In New Jersey
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New Jersey
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Hunterdon County | 1 |
| Morris County | 2 |
| Somerset County | 3 |
| Sussex County | 4 |
| Bergen County | 5 |
| Monmouth County | 6 |
| Burlington County | 7 |
| Middlesex County | 8 |
| Gloucester County | 9 |
| Warren County | 10 |
| Ocean County | 11 |
| Hudson County | 12 |
| Mercer County | 13 |
| Cape May County | 14 |
| Union County | 15 |
| Passaic County | 16 |
| Essex County | 17 |
| Atlantic County | 18 |
| Camden County | 19 |
| Salem County | 20 |
| Cumberland County | 21 |
