NJ Towns Graded In 2019, From A+ To D-: How Did Our Community Do?

Here's a report card you should be paying attention to. And you may want to think twice about living in a place that was graded with a D-.

Or maybe even a place that got a C- (Deal? Really? At the Jersey Shore?).

Niche has come out with its new 2019 rankings of the "Best Places to Live" in New Jersey, but for at least the third year in row, it took a bit of a unique approach: The consumer rankings service assigned a grade, on an A+-to-D- scale, to almost every town in the state.

Sixty communities received A+ grades, topped with towns such as Princeton, Edison and Westfield.

Nine communities received D+ grades or lower grades, including Bridgeton, the Brookfield section of White Township and the Port Norris section of Commercial Township in Cumberland County. The list included sections of towns and city neighborhoods.

The biggest surprise was Deal, perhaps, because it's known as a high-end community north of Asbury Park. Here is what one commenter wrote: "The entire town is on or close to the beach. Most of the 9-month (college) rentals are fairly expensive compared to other towns in the area, but Deal is a safe and a great location in regards to the school and local nightlife."

To arrive at the rankings, Niche.com took several factors into consideration, such as the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics and access to amenities.

Niche created a standardized score for each factor, and after weighting each factor, an overall score was calculated, which was again given a new standardized score.

Finally, Niche.com created a numerical ranking and assigned grades for each place. Click here to read more about the methodology.

Here are the New Jersey towns, and how they were graded:

A+

• Allendale
• Bedminster Township
• Berkeley Heights Township
• Bernards Township
• Bernardsville
• Bradley Gardens
• Chatham
• Chatham Township
• Closter
• Dayton
• Demarest
• Edison Township
• Fanwood
• Fort Lee
• Glen Ridge
• Glen Rock
• Green Brook Township
• Greentree
• Haddonfield
• Harlingen
• Haworth
• Heathcote
• Highland Park
• Ho-Ho-Kus
• Hoboken
• Kendall Park
• Leonia
• Livingston Township
• Madison
• Mendham Township
• Metuchen
• Millburn Township
• Monmouth Junction
• Montclair Township
• Montgomery Township
• Moorestown Township
• Morris Township
• Mountain Lakes
• New Providence
• Old Tappan
• Parsippany-Troy Hills Township
• Pennington
• Plainsboro Center
• Plainsboro Township
• Princeton
• Princeton Junction
• Princeton Meadows
• Ridgewood
• River Edge
• Rocky Hill
• Short Hills
• Society Hill
• South Brunswick Township
• South Orange
• Springdale
• Summit
• Tenafly
• Upper Montclair
• West Windsor Township
• Westfield

A

• Alpine
• Annandale
• Ashland
• Avon-by-the-Sea
• Bergenfield
• Blackwells Mills
• Boonton Township
• Branchburg Township
• Bridgewater Township
• Brielle
• Brookdale
• Budd Lake
• Cherry Hill Township
• Chester Township
• Clinton
• Clinton Township
• Cranbury
• Cranbury Township
• Cranford Township
• Cresskill
• Delaware Township
• Denville Township
• Dumont
• East Brunswick Township
• East Windsor Township
• Echelon
• Edgewater
• Englewood Cliffs
• Essex Fells
• Fair Haven
• Fairview
• Far Hills
• Florham Park
• Franklin Lakes
• Franklin Park
• Green Knoll
• Haddon Heights
• Harding Township
• Harrington Park
• Hillsborough Township
• Hillsdale
• Holmdel Township
• Hopewell
• Hopewell Township
• Interlaken
• Iselin
• Kinnelon
• Lambertville
• Lawrence Township
• Lawrenceville
• Lincroft
• Little Silver
• Long Hill Township
• Mahwah Township
• Manasquan
• Maplewood Township
• Marlboro Township
• Martinsville
• Medford Township
• Mendham
• Montvale
• Montville Township
• Morris Plains
• Morristown
• Mount Laurel Township
• Mount Olive
• North Brunswick Township
• North Caldwell
• Northvale
• Norwood
• Oradell
• Park Ridge
• Peapack and Gladstone
• Piscataway Township
• Pleasant Plains
• Ramsey
• Randolph Township
• Raritan Township
• Readington Township
• River Vale Township
• Robbinsville
• Robbinsville Township
• Robertsville
• Roseland
• Rumson
• Rutherford
• Saddle River
• Scotch Plains Township
• Sea Girt
• Secaucus
• Shrewsbury
• Skillman
• Somerset
• Sparta Township
• Springfield Township (Union)
• Stone Harbor
• Teaneck Township
• Tewksbury Township
• Union Township
• Upper Saddle River
• Verona Township
• Voorhees Township
• Waldwick
• Warren Township
• Washington Township (Bergen)
• Washington Township (Morris)
• Weehawken Township
• West Orange Township
• Westwood
• Woodcliff Lake
• Wyckoff Township

A-

• Aberdeen Township
• Allenhurst
• Atlantic Highlands
• Avalon
• Bay Head
• Bethlehem Township
• Bloomfield Township
• Califon
• Cape May
• Cedar Grove Township
• Chesterfield Township
• Clark Township
• Cliffside Park
• Collingswood
• Colts Neck Township
• East Hanover Township
• East Millstone
• East Rutherford
• Ellisburg
• Emerson
• Evesham Township
• Franklin Township (Hunterdon)
• Franklin Township (Somerset)
• Greenwich Township
• Haddon Township
• Hainesport Township
• Hanover Township
• Harrison Township (Gloucester)
• Harvey Cedars
• Hasbrouck Heights
• High Bridge
• Hightstown
• Lebanon Township
• Linwood
• Little Falls Township
• Loch Arbour
• Logan Township
• Long Beach Township
• Mantoloking
• Marlton
• Matawan
• Maywood
• Middletown Township
• Midland Park
• Millstone Township
• Monroe Township (Middlesex)
• Mountainside
• New Milford
• Nutley Township
• Oakland
• Ocean City
• Ocean Township (Monmouth)
• Old Bridge
• Old Bridge Township
• Palisades Park
• Paramus
• Pompton Lakes
• Raritan
• Richwood
• Ridgefield Park
• Riverdale
• Riverton
• Rockaway
• Rockaway Township
• Roselle Park
• Roxbury Township
• Sea Bright
• Shrewsbury Township
• Somerville
• Spring Lake
• Succasunna
• Tinton Falls
• Twin Rivers
• Upper Freehold Township
• Watchung
• Wayne Township
• Wenonah
• Westampton Township
• Woodbridge Township
• Woodstown

B+

• Alexandria Township
• Allenwood
• Barrington
• Beach Haven
• Berlin
• Bordentown
• Bordentown Township
• Brownville
• Burlington Township
• Butler
• Caldwell
• Cape May Point
• Carlstadt
• Cinnaminson Township
• Colonia
• Delaware Park
• Delran Township
• East Amwell Township
• East Greenwich Township
• Eatontown
• Egg Harbor Township
• Englewood
• Fieldsboro
• Flemington
• Freehold Township
• Frenchtown
• Gibbsboro
• Glen Gardner
• Griggstown
• Hamilton Square
• Howell Township
• Jersey City
• Kenilworth
• Lake Como
• Lake Mohawk
• Laurel Springs
• Laurence Harbor
• Lavallette
• Lebanon
• Lincoln Park
• Lumberton Township
• Lyndhurst Township
• Madison Park
• Manalapan Township
• Mannington Township
• Mansfield Township
• Mantua Township
• Margate City
• Medford Lakes
• Merchantville
• Middlebush
• Mine Hill Township
• Monmouth Beach
• Mount Arlington
• Mullica Hill
• North Arlington
• North Beach Haven
• Northfield
• Oakhurst
• Oceanport
• Pequannock Township
• Pilesgrove Township
• Pine Beach
• Point Pleasant Beach
• Point Pleasant Boro
• Ramtown
• Rochelle Park Township
• Saddle Brook Township
• South Harrison Township
• South Plainfield
• Spring Lake Heights
• Springfield Township (Burlington)
• Stanhope
• Surf City
• Turnersville
• Upper Township
• Wall Township
• Wanamassa
• Washington Township (Gloucester)
• West Amwell Township
• West Belmar
• West Caldwell Township
• West Cape May
• West Long Branch
• Wood-Ridge
• Woolwich Township

B

• Audubon
• Avenel
• Barnegat Light
• Bayonne
• Beach Haven West
• Belford
• Belmar
• Bloomingdale
• Bloomsbury
• Bogota
• Bradley Beach
• Byram Township
• Cape May Court House
• Clementon
• Cliffwood Beach
• Clifton
• Delanco Township
• Dunellen
• Edgewater Park Township
• Elk Township
• Elmer
• Englishtown
• Ewing Township
• Fairfield Township
• Florence Township
• Galloway Township
• Green Township
• Hackensack
• Hamilton Township (Mercer)
• Hampton
• Harrison
• Hawthorne
• Hazlet Township
• Highland Lakes
• Holland Township
• Independence Township
• Island Heights
• Jackson Township
• Jefferson Township
• Kingwood Township
• Liberty Township
• Long Valley
• Lopatcong Township
• Manahawkin
• Maple Shade Township
• Mays Landing
• Mercerville
• Middle Township
• Middlesex
• Milltown
• Montague Township
• Mount Holly Township
• Navesink
• North Hanover Township
• North Middletown
• Oaklyn
• Ocean Grove
• Oldmans Township
• Palmyra
• Pennsauken Township
• Pomona
• Port Monmouth
• Port Reading
• Ridgefield
• Ringwood
• Rossmoor
• Runnemede
• Sayreville
• Sewaren
• Shamong Township
• Somerdale
• Somers Point
• Spotswood
• Stafford Township
• Stockton
• Stratford
• Strathmere
• Toms River
• Totowa
• Union Township
• Wallington
• Wanaque
• West Deptford Township
• Weston
• Wharton
• White Horse
• Winfield Township
• Woodbury
• Woodland Park
• Yardville

B-

• Allamuchy Township
• Andover Township
• Audubon Park
• Belle Mead
• Belleville Township
• Bellmawr
• Berlin Township
• Blairstown Township
• Brick Township
• Brooklawn
• Carteret
• Clayton
• Clearbrook Park
• Dennis Township
• Deptford Township
• Elmwood Park
• Elsinboro Township
• Erma
• Estell Manor
• Farmingdale
• Frankford Township
• Franklin Township (Gloucester)
• Fredon Township
• Gloucester City
• Gloucester Township
• Greenwich Township (Gloucester)
• Guttenberg
• Hackettstown
• Hamburg
• Hamilton Township (Atlantic)
• Hammonton
• Hampton Township
• Hardyston Township
• Helmetta
• Hi-Nella
• Highlands
• Hillcrest
• Hillside Township
• Hopewell Township
• Jamesburg
• Keyport
• Lake Telemark
• Lawnside
• Leonardo
• Linden
• Little Ferry
• Lodi
• Long Branch
• Longport
• Lower Township
• Magnolia
• Mansfield Township (Warren)
• Milford
• Monroe Township (Gloucester)
• Moonachie
• Neptune Township
• Netcong
• New Hanover Township
• Newfield
• Newton
• North Cape May
• North Haledon
• North Plainfield
• Ocean Acres
• Ogdensburg
• Olivet
• Oxford Township
• Panther Valley
• Phillipsburg
• Pitman
• Pittsgrove Township
• Plumsted Township
• Port Republic
• Rahway
• Rockleigh
• Roebling
• Sea Isle City
• Seaside Park
• Smithville
• South Amboy
• South Bound Brook
• South River
• Southampton Township
• Stillwater Township
• Stockton
• Swedesboro
• Union Beach
• Upper Pittsgrove Township
• Ventnor City
• Vernon Township
• Wantage Township
• Washington Township (Burlington)
• Waterford Township
• West Milford Township
• Whitesboro
• Wildwood Crest
• Winslow Township
• Woodbury Heights
• Woodland Township
• Wrightstown

C+

• Absecon
• Alloway
• Alpha
• Asbury Park
• Bass River Township
• Beachwood
• Beattystown
• Belvidere
• Berkeley Township
• Bound Brook
• Branchville
• Brigantine
• Buena
• Buena Vista Township
• Burlington
• Columbia
• Crandon Lakes
• Deerfield Township
• Dover
• East Newark
• Egg Harbor City
• Elwood
• Fairfield Township
• Fairton
• Florence
• Forked River
• Franklin Township (Warren)
• Freehold
• Frelinghuysen Township
• Gibbstown
• Greenwich Township (Cumberland)
• Groveville
• Haledon
• Hardwick Township
• Hopatcong
• Hope
• Hope Township
• Juliustown
• Keansburg
• Kearny
• Knowlton Township
• Lacey Township
• Lafayette Township
• Lawrence Township (Cumberland)
• Little Egg Harbor Township
• Lower Alloways Creek Township
• Manchester Township
• Maurice River Township
• Mount Ephraim
• Mountain Lake
• Mullica Township
• Neptune City
• North Bergen Township
• Ocean Gate
• Ocean Township (Ocean)
• Pine Hill
• Pine Lake Park
• Pohatcong Township
• Quinton
• Quinton Township
• Rio Grande
• Riverside Township
• Rosenhayn
• Sandyston Township
• Silver Lake
• Silver Lake
• South Hackensack Township
• South Toms River
• Stewartsville
• Tabernacle Township
• Tuckerton
• Union City
• Upper Deerfield Township
• Vineland
• Washington
• Weymouth Township
• White Township
• Williamstown
• Woodlynne

C

• Alloway Township
• Andover
• Barnegat Township
• Belleplain
• Beverly
• Blackwood
• Brainards
• Browns Mills
• Burleigh
• Carneys Point
• Carneys Point Township
• Cedar Glen Lakes
• Cedar Glen West
• Cedarville
• Chambersburg
• Chesilhurst
• Corbin City
• Country Lake Estates
• Crestwood Village
• Eagleswood Township
• Fairview
• Folsom
• Franklin
• Garfield
• Glendora
• Harmony Township
• Lakehurst
• Lanning Square
• Leisure Knoll
• Leisure Village
• Leisure Village East
• Leisure Village West
• Leisuretowne
• Lindenwold
• Millville
• Mystic Island
• National Park
• New Brunswick
• Oxford
• Paulsboro
• Pedricktown
• Pemberton Township
• Pennsville
• Pennsville Township
• Plainfield
• Prospect Park
• Roselle
• Roselle
• Seaside Heights
• Shiloh
• Stow Creek Township
• Vernon Valley
• Victory Lakes
• Villas
• West Wildwood
• Wildwood
• Willingboro Township

C-

• Asbury
• Atlantic City
• Camden
• Collings Lakes
• Deal
• Downe Township
• Elizabeth
• Harmony
• Holiday Heights
• Lakewood
• Laurel Lake
• Marlton
• Newark
• North Wildwood
• Orange
• Penns Grove
• Perth Amboy
• Pine Ridge at Crestwood
• Pleasantville
• Salem
• Sussex
• Trenton
• Waretown
• Woodbine

D+

• Bridgeton
• Commercial Township (Cumberland)
• East Orange
• Irvington Township
• Passaic
• Paterson

D-

• Brookfield
• Port Norris
• Port Colden

Read the full grading here