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 counties 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 using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New Jersey For 2024
Hunterdon County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in New Jersey. And you should avoid Cumberland County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in New Jersey. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Jersey and the cheapest places to live in New Jersey.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In New Jersey For 2024
1. Hunterdon County
Biggest Place: Flemington
Population: 129,099
Median Income: $133,534 (best)
Median Home Price: $551,130 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (best)
More on Hunterdon County: Data
2. Morris County
Biggest Place: Morristown
Population: 508,816
Median Income: $130,808 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $604,106 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (5th best)
More on Morris County: Data
3. Somerset County
Biggest Place: Somerset
Population: 344,978
Median Income: $131,948 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $576,433 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (2nd best)
More on Somerset County: Data
4. Monmouth County
Biggest Place: Long Branch
Population: 643,064
Median Income: $118,527 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $656,805 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (6th best)
More on Monmouth County: Data
5. Sussex County
Biggest Place: Hopatcong
Population: 144,808
Median Income: $111,094 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $390,212 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (8th best)
More on Sussex County: Data
6. Burlington County
Biggest Place: Moorestown-Lenola
Population: 461,853
Median Income: $102,615 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $364,189 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (3rd best)
More on Burlington County: Data
7. Bergen County
Biggest Place: Hackensack
Population: 953,243
Median Income: $118,714 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $646,194 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (7th best)
More on Bergen County: Data
8. Gloucester County
Biggest Place: Glassboro
Population: 302,621
Median Income: $99,668 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $334,596 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (4th best)
More on Gloucester County: Data
9. Cape May County
Biggest Place: Ocean City
Population: 95,456
Median Income: $83,870 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $686,592 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (15th best)
More on Cape May County: Data
10. Ocean County
Biggest Place: Toms River
Population: 638,691
Median Income: $82,379 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $482,131 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (9th best)
More on Ocean County: Data
Methodology: 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 made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent 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, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Garden State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in New Jersey.
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.
Summary: The Best Counties In New Jersey To Call Home For 2024
Living in New Jersey can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in New Jersey are Hunterdon County, Morris County, Somerset County, Monmouth County, Sussex County, Burlington County, Bergen County, Gloucester County, Cape May County, and Ocean County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in New Jersey according to the data:
- Cumberland County
- Atlantic County
- Essex County
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Best Places To Retire In New Jersey
- Best Counties To Live In New Jersey
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New Jersey
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hunterdon County | 129,099 | $133,534 | $551,130 |
| 2 | Morris County | 508,816 | $130,808 | $604,106 |
| 3 | Somerset County | 344,978 | $131,948 | $576,433 |
| 4 | Monmouth County | 643,064 | $118,527 | $656,805 |
| 5 | Sussex County | 144,808 | $111,094 | $390,212 |
| 6 | Burlington County | 461,853 | $102,615 | $364,189 |
| 7 | Bergen County | 953,243 | $118,714 | $646,194 |
| 8 | Gloucester County | 302,621 | $99,668 | $334,596 |
| 9 | Cape May County | 95,456 | $83,870 | $686,592 |
| 10 | Ocean County | 638,691 | $82,379 | $482,131 |
| 11 | Warren County | 109,739 | $92,620 | $368,958 |
| 12 | Middlesex County | 860,147 | $105,206 | $487,590 |
| 13 | Mercer County | 383,732 | $92,697 | $388,903 |
| 14 | Union County | 572,079 | $95,000 | $541,735 |
| 15 | Hudson County | 712,029 | $86,854 | $574,117 |
| 16 | Salem County | 64,840 | $73,378 | $258,391 |
| 17 | Camden County | 522,581 | $82,005 | $305,546 |
| 18 | Passaic County | 519,986 | $84,465 | $499,903 |
| 19 | Essex County | 853,374 | $73,785 | $567,351 |
| 20 | Atlantic County | 274,339 | $73,113 | $333,548 |
| 21 | Cumberland County | 153,588 | $62,310 | $238,961 |