10 N.J. Towns Among Safest To Raise A Child In America, Report Says

The Garden State rates very favorably on a new list that assessed the best places to raise a child in America. Ten New Jersey towns are among the 50 safest in the United States, according to a new list from SafeWise, a national home security provider.

The list used various data to define which cities in the United States excel at creating safer environments for families, saying they do "exceptional jobs of protecting not only adults but also their smallest, most vulnerable residents."

Some of the communities that rated highly on this list have also rated lowly on other lists. Toms River has routinely appeared on Patch's annual list showing towns with the highest number of heroin cases. Read more: 30 N.J. Towns With The Most Heroin Abuse, New Data Says.

But SafeWise New Jersey was helped by the state’s family-friendly towns that show New Jersey has the second-highest high school graduation rate, among other qualities. Toms River was singled out for having a youth services department that specifically focuses on after-school and summer camps tailored to provide services to kids in need.

"And when October rolls around, you’ll be in for a ghoulish good time as the township prepares to host the second-largest Halloween parade in the world," the report said.

The SafeWise team reviewed reported sex offender concentration, state graduation rates, overall school quality ranking, and FBI violent crime data. The organization also considered parks and recreational opportunities as well as special programs focused on providing services for kids and families.

"While lots of communities strive to provide a safe environment for their residents, the cities on our list performed the best considering these factors specifically important to raising a family," the report said.

Here is the New Jersey list, with a little synopsis that addresses why each community was chosen within the top 30:

• #7 Monroe Township, Middlesex County: "Residents are attracted by the fantastic educational opportunities in Monroe Township, which was voted best high school in America in 2014 by US News."
• #9 Middletown: "Middletown Township’s calendar is packed with family activities like community fossil hunts, movies in the park, and mother-daughter afternoon teas."
• #11 Wayne: "The city has nearly 2,000 acres of parkland, which includes swimming facilities, community gardens, and dozens of playgrounds."
• #13 Toms River: "New Jersey’s stellar graduation rates are just the beginning of what Toms River Township has to offer students."
• #17 Bridgewater: "Travel inland to the friendly, tree-lined neighborhoods of Bridgewater Township, and you’ll find more than great parks and youth recreation opportunities."
• #22 Hillsborough
• #31 Old Bridge
• #35 Jackson
• #43 Manchester
• #47 Parsippany-Troy Hills

Here is the national list:

1. Greenwich, Connecticut
2. Essex, Vermont
3. Fairfield, Connecticut
4. Carmel, Indiana
5. Merrimack, New Hampshire
6. Fishers, Indiana
7. Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
8. Irvine, California
9. Middletown, New Jersey
10. Cary, North Carolina
11. Wayne, New Jersey
12. Franklin, Massachusetts
13. Toms River, New Jersey
14. Warwick, Rhode Island
15. Ridgefield, Connecticut
16. Gilbert, Arizona
17. Bridgewater, New Jersey
18. Southington, Connecticut
19. Orem, Utah
20. Westport, Connecticut
21. Cumberland, Rhode Island
22. Hillsborough, New Jersey
23. Milton, Vermont
24. Simsbury, Connecticut
25. Cheshire, Connecticut
26. Milford, Connecticut
27. Glastonbury, Connecticut
28. Narragansett, Rhode Island
29. Lakeville, Minnesota
30. Newton, Massachusetts
31. Old Bridge, New Jersey
32. South Kingstown, Rhode Island
33. Woodbury, Minnesota
34. Farmington, Connecticut
35. Jackson, New Jersey
36. Darien, Connecticut
37. Needham, Massachusetts
38. West Hartford, Connecticut
39. Eden Prairie, Minnesota
40. New Canaan, Connecticut
41. Newtown, Connecticut
42. Naperville, Illinois
43. Manchester, New Jersey
44. Johns Creek, Georgia
45. State College, Pennsylvania
46. Smithfield, Rhode Island
47. Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
48. Maple Grove, Minnesota
49. Bristol, Rhode Island
50. Madison, Connecticut

Watch: 10 New Jersey Towns Among Safest To Raise A Child In America

Read the whole report here.

Patch file photo