The 10 Best Suburbs In New Jersey For 2024


The best suburbs in New Jersey are Hillsdale and Park Ridge for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

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


Hillsdale 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 2024

Hillsdale, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User JERRYE | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 10,125
Median Income: $175,802
Average Home Price: $698,480
More on Hillsdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Hillsdale is located 10 miles west of Yonkers.

Park Ridge, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User KLOTZPLATE | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 9,098
Median Income: $164,241
Average Home Price: $706,489
More on Park Ridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Park Ridge is located 11 miles west of Yonkers.

Fair Haven, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Apc106 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 6,221
Median Income: $229,643
Average Home Price: $1,262,730
More on Fair Haven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Fair Haven is located 21 miles south of New York.

Little Silver, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 6,104
Median Income: $216,974
Average Home Price: $936,174
More on Little Silver: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Little Silver is located 23 miles south of New York.

Old Tappan, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 5,863
Median Income: $195,833
Average Home Price: $993,658
More on Old Tappan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Old Tappan is located 8 miles west of Yonkers.

Waldwick, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Daniel Case | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 10,068
Median Income: $150,861
Average Home Price: $600,598
More on Waldwick: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Waldwick is located 14 miles west of Yonkers.

Florham Park, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Leifern | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 12,790
Median Income: $141,620
Average Home Price: $852,042
More on Florham Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Florham Park is located 12 miles west of Newark.

Cresskill, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 9,105
Median Income: $162,430
Average Home Price: $824,668
More on Cresskill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cresskill is located 4 miles west of Yonkers.

New Providence, NJ

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,595
Median Income: $167,188
Average Home Price: $806,187
More on New Providence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

New Providence is located 12 miles west of Newark.

Westfield, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 30,839
Median Income: $203,235
Average Home Price: $1,040,776
More on Westfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Westfield is located 10 miles west of Newark.

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 Hillsdale 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 Hillsdale, Park Ridge, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Old Tappan, Waldwick, Florham Park, Cresskill, New Providence, and Westfield.

Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in New Jersey according to the data:

  1. Camden
  2. Burlington
  3. Plainfield

For more New Jersey reading, check out:

The Best Suburbs In New Jersey

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Price
1 Hillsdale 10,125 $175,802 $698,480
2 Park Ridge 9,098 $164,241 $706,489
3 Fair Haven 6,221 $229,643 $1,262,730
4 Little Silver 6,104 $216,974 $936,174
5 Old Tappan 5,863 $195,833 $993,658
6 Waldwick 10,068 $150,861 $600,598
7 Florham Park 12,790 $141,620 $852,042
8 Cresskill 9,105 $162,430 $824,668
9 New Providence 13,595 $167,188 $806,187
10 Westfield 30,839 $203,235 $1,040,776
11 Wood-Ridge 9,978 $132,901 $617,275
12 Madison 16,521 $163,567 $906,312
13 Haddonfield 12,456 $178,362 $698,505
14 River Edge 12,022 $150,073 $685,672
15 Oradell 8,208 $196,023 $793,885
16 Westwood 11,241 $160,466 $617,848
17 Ridgewood 26,043 $211,224 $978,934
18 North Caldwell 6,625 $215,000 $1,001,940
19 Glen Rock 12,086 $202,586 $857,563
20 Matawan 9,546 $125,040 $563,446
21 Fanwood 7,723 $177,727 $651,607
22 Chatham 9,199 $250,001 $1,092,337
23 Bernardsville 7,888 $220,060 $890,901
24 Mountainside 6,991 $162,531 $851,670
25 Caldwell 8,897 $117,879 $625,878
26 Rumson 7,285 $250,001 $1,812,105
27 Allendale 6,817 $163,875 $891,873
28 Emerson 7,281 $141,908 $655,975
29 Franklin Lakes 11,007 $204,917 $1,396,762
30 Glen Ridge 7,797 $246,429 $970,075
31 Norwood 5,657 $156,630 $747,730
32 Ramsey 14,739 $160,589 $705,649
33 Roseland 6,221 $135,451 $686,003
34 New Milford 16,888 $107,976 $590,506
35 Upper Saddle River 8,313 $234,476 $1,204,841
36 Ringwood 11,692 $141,800 $504,128
37 Midland Park 7,022 $136,326 $623,608
38 Montvale 8,413 $175,179 $787,501
39 Union Beach 5,751 $124,828 $437,728
40 Hawthorne 19,456 $105,168 $536,528
41 Kinnelon 9,986 $170,905 $745,748
42 Haddon Heights 7,484 $117,556 $429,614
43 Fair Lawn 34,948 $141,540 $601,965
44 Oakland 12,734 $162,848 $624,707
45 Rutherford 18,754 $128,576 $638,326
46 Morris Plains 6,104 $144,540 $620,521
47 Closter 8,555 $181,652 $917,085
48 Tenafly 15,299 $207,652 $1,066,620
49 Hoboken 58,754 $168,137 $795,620
50 Dumont 18,014 $116,708 $543,620
51 Edgewater 14,394 $136,806 $641,816
52 Woodcliff Lake 6,096 $227,500 $1,021,125
53 Maywood 10,040 $119,057 $569,144
54 Englewood Cliffs 5,347 $213,261 $1,437,753
55 Boonton 8,781 $96,500 $567,031
56 Metuchen 14,958 $154,339 $566,292
57 Summit 22,555 $176,702 $1,115,201
58 Leonia 9,273 $110,679 $726,904
59 Butler 8,045 $108,378 $474,719
60 Bogota 8,940 $113,260 $503,090
61 Watchung 6,417 $157,065 $905,582
62 Audubon 8,695 $103,379 $336,856
63 Roselle Park 13,964 $97,769 $481,750
64 Oceanport 6,119 $132,723 $795,055
65 North Haledon 8,801 $128,472 $617,950
66 Pompton Lakes 11,052 $113,781 $464,830
67 Wanaque 11,217 $108,650 $439,505
68 Hasbrouck Heights 12,080 $114,219 $603,225
69 Jamesburg 5,783 $112,813 $391,126
70 Bergenfield 28,223 $121,738 $541,010
71 Rockaway 6,589 $93,750 $488,557
72 Somerville 12,467 $102,423 $462,875
73 Mount Arlington 5,863 $95,431 $462,369
74 Pitman 8,805 $91,566 $317,191
75 Cliffside Park 25,546 $96,734 $573,933
76 Ridgefield 11,465 $105,609 $677,879
77 Raritan 8,301 $99,928 $469,041
78 Highland Park 14,996 $93,927 $488,073
79 Tinton Falls 19,180 $107,959 $530,656
80 Paramus 26,582 $136,824 $866,706
81 Hopatcong 14,411 $107,670 $381,593
82 West Long Branch 8,547 $114,036 $856,215
83 Manville 10,892 $85,925 $410,651
84 Totowa 10,975 $112,097 $558,674
85 South Plainfield 24,273 $123,417 $495,585
86 North Arlington 16,352 $96,869 $531,251
87 Bloomingdale 7,726 $125,865 $459,891
88 Palisades Park 20,231 $93,250 $844,948
89 Kenilworth 8,345 $97,600 $532,095
90 Red Bank 12,868 $89,500 $594,880
91 Berlin 7,489 $98,706 $342,726
92 Fort Lee 39,799 $101,573 $537,880
93 Woodland Park 13,291 $90,323 $546,965
94 Lincoln Park 10,884 $112,056 $465,030
95 Haledon 8,945 $98,462 $462,758
96 Spotswood 8,136 $100,781 $457,158
97 Little Ferry 10,954 $72,722 $496,208
98 Carlstadt 6,341 $89,669 $578,158
99 Dunellen 7,598 $86,532 $449,110
100 Clifton 89,451 $94,179 $510,186
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.