Princeton Junction, Princeton Among 'Best Places To Live In NJ'

PRINCETON, NJ — We know Princeton is an amazing place to live in, but now it has competition from its neighbor.

On Monday, Niche.com released its 2022 ranking of 'Best Places to Live in New Jersey.' Princeton Junction was ranked at No. 1 in the state for 2022, while Princeton was placed at No. 4.

Niche.com uses up-to-date data from dozens of public sources including the Department of Education, FBI and U.S. Census to compile a comprehensive assessment of the overall livability of an area.

The website considers various factors to compile the ranking including affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, public schools and more. Each community is then assigned a grade, on an A+-to-D- scale.

Princeton Junction and Princeton received an overall grade on A+.

Here’s how they fared:

Princeton Junction

• Overall: A+
• Public Schools: A+
• Crime & Safety: N/A
• Housing: A+
• Nightlife: B-
• Good for Families: A+
• Diversity: B-
• Jobs: A
• Weather: B-
• Cost of Living: B+
• Health & Fitness: A+
• Outdoor Activities: A
• Commute: B+

Princeton

• Overall: A+
• Public Schools: A+
• Crime & Safety: B
• Housing: C+
• Nightlife: A
• Good for Families: A+
• Diversity: A-
• Jobs: B+
• Weather: B-
• Cost of Living: C
• Health & Fitness: A+
• Outdoor Activities: A
• Commute: A+

And yes, the pandemic too plays an important role in the overall ranking. But it was mainly a township’s school district that was the main factor for a family deciding to relocate.

“The pandemic triggered a new set of possibilities — suddenly, many individuals and families found themselves more mobile than ever before, and in the past two years they have continued to think hard about where they really want to live,” said Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche.

Here are the top 10 best places to live in New Jersey:

1. Princeton Junction
2. Mountain Lakes
3. Ridgewood
4. Princeton
5. Princeton Meadows
6. Upper Montclair
7. Haworth
8. Monmouth Junction
9. Glen Rock
10. Ho-Ho Kus

You can read more about Niche’s process and methodology here.

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