New Jersey landed at No. 2 on WalletHub’s newly released list of the best states to live in, trailing only Idaho. There’s just one catch: the state’s affordability score landed at 49th out of 50—second-to-last in the entire country.
In the WalletHub report, 50 states were analyzed across 51 different indicators. Everything from affordability to economic health, education, quality of life, and safety were factored.
New Jersey landed strong ratings in almost every single category, except for cost. The state grabbed the No. 1 spot nationally for safety; 7th for education and health; 9th for quality of life. Affordability is the only thing weighing the state down, led by some of the steepest property taxes in the country. If not for exorbitant prices, it’s safe to assume New Jersey could have easily taken the No. 1 spot.
A few numbers help explain both sides of that ranking. New Jersey has the third-highest median household income in the country, sitting just under $104,000. Residents also carry the second-lowest median debt relative to what they earn—around 27 percent of annual income. Add in the fifth-lowest poverty rate and the fifth-lowest food insecurity rate nationally, and the picture becomes even clearer.
Health outcomes tell a similarly strong story. New Jersey has the second-lowest premature death rate in the country, the third-lowest obesity rate, and the third-best overall life expectancy, helped along by the sixth-most miles of trails and the fifth-most fitness centers per capita statewide.
Crime numbers hold up well too: the ninth-lowest violent crime rate and 17th-lowest property crime rate, aided by having the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita in the country.
Quality of life extends beyond safety and health as well. New Jersey ranked sixth nationally for highly rated restaurants per capita. Add in a strong lineup of bars, museums, arts centers, beaches, and movie theaters, and the appeal starts to make a lot more sense.
Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire rounded out the rest of the top five behind New Jersey.
So yes, New Jersey is apparently one of the best places in the country to live. Just be ready to pay for it.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.