Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban New Jersey? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Trenton, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which New Jersey suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Garden State
Park Ridge is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban New Jersey.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in 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 best places to raise a family in New Jersey.
Best Suburbs In New Jersey For 2025
/10
Population: 9,218
Median Income: $165,391
Average Home Price: $666,200
More on Park Ridge: Data
Park Ridge is located 11 miles west of Yonkers.
/10
Population: 6,182
Median Income: $237,132
Average Home Price: $943,300
More on Fair Haven: Data
Fair Haven is located 21 miles south of New York.
/10
Population: 10,086
Median Income: $169,862
Average Home Price: $656,800
More on Hillsdale: Data
Hillsdale is located 10 miles west of Yonkers.
/10
Population: 10,090
Median Income: $155,526
Average Home Price: $576,200
More on Waldwick: Data
Waldwick is located 14 miles west of Yonkers.
/10
Population: 12,502
Median Income: $190,882
Average Home Price: $708,800
More on Haddonfield: Data
Haddonfield is located 9 miles south of Philadelphia.
/10
Population: 6,096
Median Income: $220,746
Average Home Price: $870,700
More on Little Silver: Data
Little Silver is located 23 miles south of New York.
/10
Population: 8,197
Median Income: $214,736
Average Home Price: $702,400
More on Oradell: Data
Oradell is located 8 miles west of Yonkers.
/10
Population: 7,714
Median Income: $176,667
Average Home Price: $610,600
More on Fanwood: Data
Fanwood is located 12 miles west of Newark.
/10
Population: 9,101
Median Income: $173,293
Average Home Price: $764,800
More on Cresskill: Data
Cresskill is located 4 miles west of Yonkers.
/10
Population: 11,011
Median Income: $230,987
Average Home Price: $1,217,500
More on Franklin Lakes: Data
Franklin Lakes is located 18 miles west of Yonkers.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Garden State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in New Jersey. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of New Jersey, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in New Jersey across these criteria from one to 157, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In New Jersey.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in New Jersey.
Read on to see why Park Ridge is the ‘burb with the most, while Camden is probably not the best place to live in New Jersey.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In New Jersey
If you’re measuring the locations in New Jersey where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in New Jersey are Park Ridge, Fair Haven, Hillsdale, Waldwick, Haddonfield, Little Silver, Oradell, Fanwood, Cresskill, and Franklin Lakes.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in New Jersey according to the data:
- Camden
- East Orange
- Trenton
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
- Richest Cities In New Jersey
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Expensive Places To Live In New Jersey
The Best Suburbs In New Jersey
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Park Ridge | 9,218 | $165,391 | $666,200 |
| 2 | Fair Haven | 6,182 | $237,132 | $943,300 |
| 3 | Hillsdale | 10,086 | $169,862 | $656,800 |
| 4 | Waldwick | 10,090 | $155,526 | $576,200 |
| 5 | Haddonfield | 12,502 | $190,882 | $708,800 |
| 6 | Little Silver | 6,096 | $220,746 | $870,700 |
| 7 | Oradell | 8,197 | $214,736 | $702,400 |
| 8 | Fanwood | 7,714 | $176,667 | $610,600 |
| 9 | Cresskill | 9,101 | $173,293 | $764,800 |
| 10 | Franklin Lakes | 11,011 | $230,987 | $1,217,500 |
| 11 | Westfield | 30,760 | $212,700 | $930,500 |
| 12 | Old Tappan | 5,896 | $199,250 | $910,600 |
| 13 | Madison | 16,464 | $168,469 | $882,900 |
| 14 | Ridgewood | 26,076 | $217,250 | $882,700 |
| 15 | Florham Park | 13,134 | $147,714 | $722,700 |
| 16 | Westwood | 11,221 | $169,026 | $587,700 |
| 17 | Midland Park | 6,996 | $140,063 | $586,200 |
| 18 | Mountainside | 6,967 | $210,100 | $755,600 |
| 19 | Chatham | 9,219 | $250,001 | $944,300 |
| 20 | Glen Rock | 12,082 | $210,369 | $817,300 |
| 21 | Emerson | 7,263 | $153,963 | $626,000 |
| 22 | Bernardsville | 7,871 | $231,006 | $737,600 |
| 23 | Allendale | 6,820 | $156,992 | $764,600 |
| 24 | Woodcliff Lake | 6,097 | $211,233 | $901,800 |
| 25 | Morris Plains | 6,214 | $149,623 | $609,700 |
| 26 | Glen Ridge | 7,827 | $248,016 | $730,600 |
| 27 | Wood-Ridge | 10,094 | $131,412 | $532,900 |
| 28 | Ramsey | 14,722 | $164,767 | $665,700 |
| 29 | Union Beach | 5,722 | $128,400 | $452,900 |
| 30 | Caldwell | 8,898 | $101,196 | $563,000 |
| 31 | Roseland | 6,211 | $160,644 | $640,600 |
| 32 | Rumson | 7,265 | $250,001 | $1,609,400 |
| 33 | Hawthorne | 19,472 | $118,093 | $499,200 |
| 34 | Oceanport | 6,130 | $156,196 | $685,800 |
| 35 | Fair Lawn | 35,153 | $147,952 | $532,700 |
| 36 | Hoboken | 58,340 | $176,943 | $872,100 |
| 37 | River Edge | 12,024 | $155,827 | $637,500 |
| 38 | Oakland | 12,700 | $162,862 | $567,200 |
| 39 | Tenafly | 15,252 | $208,088 | $974,300 |
| 40 | New Milford | 16,882 | $113,513 | $554,800 |
| 41 | Upper Saddle River | 8,354 | $246,719 | $1,101,800 |
| 42 | Dumont | 18,072 | $125,585 | $469,900 |
| 43 | Montvale | 8,625 | $183,664 | $688,500 |
| 44 | Summit | 22,512 | $199,107 | $969,900 |
| 45 | Matawan | 9,636 | $122,026 | $447,000 |
| 46 | Kinnelon | 9,971 | $178,102 | $682,600 |
| 47 | Kenilworth | 8,339 | $126,295 | $521,100 |
| 48 | Metuchen | 14,982 | $157,779 | $565,400 |
| 49 | Audubon | 8,699 | $116,900 | $288,500 |
| 50 | Rutherford | 18,748 | $136,069 | $580,800 |
| 51 | Closter | 8,544 | $187,500 | $820,100 |
| 52 | Pompton Lakes | 11,010 | $119,038 | $411,100 |
| 53 | Edgewater | 14,544 | $137,847 | $723,400 |
| 54 | Leonia | 9,300 | $116,429 | $634,500 |
| 55 | North Caldwell | 6,622 | $203,140 | $906,100 |
| 56 | Maywood | 10,042 | $119,306 | $495,700 |
| 57 | New Providence | 13,577 | $162,877 | $734,300 |
| 58 | Bergenfield | 28,269 | $124,083 | $469,200 |
| 59 | West Long Branch | 8,576 | $123,661 | $631,300 |
| 60 | Watchung | 6,429 | $166,536 | $833,300 |
| 61 | Roselle Park | 13,965 | $104,418 | $405,800 |
| 62 | Jamesburg | 5,763 | $117,719 | $344,900 |
| 63 | Hasbrouck Heights | 12,067 | $118,670 | $508,500 |
| 64 | Haddon Heights | 7,488 | $126,055 | $354,700 |
| 65 | Wanaque | 11,162 | $112,326 | $366,400 |
| 66 | Norwood | 5,668 | $164,766 | $676,400 |
| 67 | Pitman | 8,834 | $96,199 | $258,400 |
| 68 | Butler | 8,072 | $110,375 | $425,900 |
| 69 | Mount Arlington | 5,901 | $99,511 | $393,400 |
| 70 | Highland Park | 14,981 | $101,991 | $463,600 |
| 71 | Paramus | 26,500 | $139,707 | $736,000 |
| 72 | Ridgefield | 11,439 | $115,676 | $609,700 |
| 73 | Rockaway | 6,589 | $100,028 | $427,800 |
| 74 | Englewood Cliffs | 5,330 | $222,192 | $1,232,700 |
| 75 | Palisades Park | 20,192 | $101,295 | $704,400 |
| 76 | Barrington | 7,047 | $84,334 | $244,400 |
| 77 | Hopatcong | 14,470 | $114,057 | $318,600 |
| 78 | North Arlington | 16,368 | $101,493 | $464,700 |
| 79 | Somerville | 12,958 | $103,869 | $403,600 |
| 80 | Totowa | 10,919 | $114,177 | $507,700 |
| 81 | Woodland Park | 13,284 | $85,638 | $475,400 |
| 82 | South Plainfield | 24,231 | $126,063 | $443,900 |
| 83 | Berlin | 7,503 | $101,008 | $310,000 |
| 84 | Boonton | 8,803 | $100,417 | $475,300 |
| 85 | Red Bank | 12,864 | $101,738 | $477,000 |
| 86 | Fort Lee | 39,818 | $105,535 | $422,200 |
| 87 | Cliffside Park | 25,580 | $94,960 | $577,200 |
| 88 | Carlstadt | 6,343 | $94,854 | $523,800 |
| 89 | Bloomingdale | 7,686 | $126,221 | $398,000 |
| 90 | Secaucus | 21,437 | $134,746 | $557,800 |
| 91 | Bogota | 9,110 | $107,321 | $443,400 |
| 92 | North Haledon | 8,757 | $131,810 | $517,200 |
| 93 | Ringwood | 11,600 | $142,529 | $434,800 |
| 94 | Lincoln Park | 10,901 | $119,000 | $419,500 |
| 95 | Stratford | 6,965 | $100,735 | $238,200 |
| 96 | Manville | 10,870 | $93,872 | $321,100 |
| 97 | Raritan | 8,192 | $103,699 | $449,200 |
| 98 | Englewood | 29,342 | $101,398 | $497,500 |
| 99 | Collingswood | 14,163 | $83,917 | $346,300 |
| 100 | Runnemede | 8,310 | $100,366 | $217,500 |