Mendham Twp. Named Among Top 10 Towns to Live in N.J.

Hey, Mendham Township. Once again, you’re among the best in the state.

This time the ranking comes from New Jersey Monthly magazine, which lists Mendham Township as the ninth best place to live the state. The town’s neighbors fared well also, with Mendham Borough coming in at number 66, Chester Borough at 83, and Chester Township at 88.

In the magazine’s last ranking, released in 2013, Mendham Borough received the top spot.

The magazine released it’s top-to bottom list of nearly every one of the state’s towns, ranking 510 of the state’s 565 municipalities based on home values, property taxes, crime rate, school performance and a lifestyle factor, according to the publication.

The magazine released it’s top-to bottom list of nearly every one of the state’s towns, ranking 510 of the state’s 565 municipalities based on home values, property taxes, crime rate, school performance and a lifestyle factor, according to the publication.

New Jersey Monthly’s 2015 Top 100 Towns list, compiled by researchers at Leflein Associates, an independent research firm based in Ringwood, dropped towns with a population under 1,500 because of the lack of statistically significant data.

The research team ranked each of the remaining 510 towns based on the following indicators: average residential tax bill in 2014; change in average property tax bill from 2012 to 2014; effective property tax rate for 2014; median home-sales price in 2014; change in median home-sales price from 2012 to 2014; total crime rate in 2013; student proficiency on state-mandated standardized tests for students in grades 4, 8 and 11 in 2014; and a lifestyle factor that considers the number of hospitals, restaurants and live performing-arts theaters within close proximity of the municipality’s main zip code.

Extra weighting was given to the following indicators: average tax bill; change in average tax bill; effective tax rate; and results on standardized tests for students in grades 4 and 8.

The annual crime rate and violent crime rate are based on reported crimes per 1,000 residents.

Here are the top 100:

1. FLORHAM PARK

2. HARDING TOWNSHIP

3. LAVALLETTE

4. PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP

5. AVON-BY-THE-SEA

6. WYCKOFF

7. ROSELAND

8. MADISON

9. MENDHAM TOWNSHIP

10. SADDLE RIVER

11. LONG HILL

12. MONTVALE

13. HANOVER

14. RIDGEWOOD

15. ALLENDALE

16. NORTH CALDWELL

17. MONMOUTH BEACH

18. CHATHAM

19. SECAUCUS

20. SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS

21. ESSEX FELLS

22. FAIRFIELD

23. SUMMIT

24. RIVERDALE

25. WALL

26. PARAMUS

27. EAST HANOVER

28. SHREWSBURY

29. MANASQUAN

30. MAHWAH

31. RIDGEFIELD

32. RAMSEY

33. WEST LONG BRANCH

34. GREEN BROOK

35. SEA ISLE CITY

36. CHATHAM

37. RARITAN

38. OCEAN CITY

39. MILLBURN

40. CLOSTER

41. UPPER SADDLE RIVER

42. HO-HO-KUS

43. WATCHUNG

44. PRINCETON

45. CALDWELL

46. PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS

47. MOORESTOWN

48. NORWOOD

49. FRANKLIN LAKES

50. TENAFLY

51. WILDWOOD CREST

52. CRANFORD

53. PLAINSBORO

54. ALPINE

55. CRANBURY

56. BRIELLE

57. BRIDGEWATER

58. MOUNTAIN LAKES

59. CARLSTADT

60. EAST AMWELL

61. ISLAND HEIGHTS

62. WESTFIELD

63. BERNARDS

64. GLEN ROCK

65. FORT LEE

66. MENDHAM BOROUGH

67. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (Bergen)

68. BOONTON

69. NEW PROVIDENCE

70. MOUNTAINSIDE

71. LIVINGSTON

72. MONTVILLE

73. CLARK

74. WEST CALDWELL

75. HAINESPORT

76. CRESSKILL

77. BERKELEY HEIGHTS

78. HAWORTH

79. WESTWOOD

80. PALISADES PARK

81. WALDWICK

82. MORRIS TOWNSHIP

83. CHESTER BOROUGH

84. OCEANPORT

85. DENVILLE

86. RUTHERFORD

87. RUMSON

88. CHESTER TOWNSHIP

89. HILLSBOROUGH

90. HARRINGTON PARK

91. LEONIA

92. POINT PLEASANT BEACH

93. DEMAREST

94. PINE BEACH

95. BELMAR

96. MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP

97. DENNIS TOWNSHIP

98. HOWELL

99. SOUTH HACKENSACK

100. WOODCLIFF LAKE

Morris County was well represented on the list, notching five of the top 10 towns, and eight in the top 20.

“This is quite an honor for our county but it comes as no surprise to us,’’ said Morris County Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo. “We have a great mix of business and jobs, good local schools and colleges, plenty of great parks and natural spaces, easy access to major highways, and mass transit that takes you right to downtown New York, all of which makes the quality of life in Morris County hard to beat.’’