New Jersey's Top 20 Towns: Who Made New Jersey Monthly's 2017 List?

Where is the best place to live in New Jersey? New Jersey Monthly has an idea. The publication has released the top 20 of its "100 Top Towns" chart as part of the “Best Places to Live” cover story in the September issue, available on newsstands on Aug. 29. A complete ranking of 513 New Jersey municipalities will be available starting Aug. 28 at njmonthly.com/top-towns.

Ho-Ho-Kus, which ranked No. 1 on the chart in 2011, jumped back to the top of the chart this year, thanks largely to a 22.1 percent increase in the median home sale price from 2014 to 2016. Access to top schools and a low crime rate also contribute to the town’s standing, according to a New Jersey Monthly release.

New Jersey Monthly publishes the Hot 100 Towns chart every other year. (Ho-Ho-Kus was No. 42 on the 2015 chart).

Leflein Associates, an independent research firm in Ringwood, compiles the chart exclusively for New Jersey Monthly. The chart is based on factors a home buyer would consider, including home prices, real estate taxes, school results, crime rates and access to essentials and amenities such as hospitals, theaters and restaurants.

Here is the top 20 list:

1. Ho-Ho-Kus (Bergen County)
2. Chatham Township (Morris)
3. Glen Rock (Bergen)
4. Rumson (Monmouth)
5. Bernards (Somerset)
6. Berkeley Heights (Union)
7. Montvale (Bergen)
8. New Providence (Union)
9. Denville (Morris)
10. Chatham Borough (Morris)
11. Oradell (Bergen)
12. Mountainside (Union)
13. Millburn (Essex)
14. Cranbury (Middlesex)
15. Chester Township (Morris)
16. River Edge (Bergen)
17. Long Hill (Morris)
18. Cresskill (Bergen)
19. Mountain Lakes (Morris)
20. Livingston (Essex)

New Jersey Monthly, now in its 41st year, is considered an authority on life in the Garden State. Each month, more than half a million New Jersey residents read New Jersey Monthly. Find out more at its website by clicking here.

Patch file photo