Westwood In Top 50 Safest US Cities To Raise A Child: Report

WESTWOOD, NJ — Ten New Jersey towns, including Westwood, were named to a list of the 50 safest towns to raise a free-range child in this year, according to SafeWise, a national home security company.

SafeWise examined a town's violent crime rate, walkability, and overall child safety score, which is a combination of eight factors. The national average for violent crimes is 3.94 per 1,000, according to SafeWise.

Free-range children are those whom parents allow to walk home from school alone.

Westwood has the second-lowest violent crime rate among the top 30 ranked towns. It was the highest ranked city in New Jersey by SafeWise, second only to Madison in Morris County.

"On top of safe streets, this charming borough boasts nine city parks that include picnic areas, playgrounds, baseball fields, ponds, and walking paths," SafeWise reported on Westwood.

Two other Bergen County towns, Tenafly and Ridgefield, were ranked in the top 30. Tenafly was ranked at No. 22, Ridgefield at No. 25.

Highland Park, Haddonfield, Cedar Grove, Verona, New Providence, and Raritan were the other New Jersey towns to make SafeWise's top 50.

Easton, Maryland was ranked No. 1 on the list.

For more information about the rankings or to view the complete list, click here.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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