Lawrence Named Among Best Places To Live In NJ For 2019

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Lawrence is one of the best places to live in New Jersey, according to rankings recently released by New Jersey Monthly.

Lawrence was ranked the 225th best place to live in New Jersey in New Jersey Monthly’s list of Best Places to Live in New Jersey for 2019.

The 565 municipalities in New Jersey were ranked based on five categories: home values, property taxes, crime rate, school performance and a lifestyle factor — that looks at the number of acute-care hospitals and live performing-arts theaters nearby, number of restaurants, and average commute time for residents.

NJ Monthly used Leflein Associates, an independent research firm based in Ringwood, to rank the towns. However, towns with populations under 1,500 were dropped from the survey.

Here is how Lawrence ranked, according to NJ Monthly's data:

Property Taxes: With a population of 33,161 as of 2017, Lawrence has an average tax bill of $7,941 as of 2018, which is up 1.9 percent since 2016. The effective property tax rate is 2.061 and the 3-year average debt per capita is $149,119.

Home Values: The median home price in Lawrence is $285,000 as of 2018, which is up 5.6 percent since 2016. Homes spend an average of 69 days on the market.

Crime Rate: Lawrence's crime rate per 1,000 residents as of 2016 is 21.3, with a violent crime rate per 1,000 residents of 1.3 as of 2016.

School Performance: Lawrence High School ranked as the 102nd best in the state, according to NJ Monthly's Top High Schools for 2018.

To see the full list of all New Jersey towns and how they ranked see the NJ Monthly article here.