2) Ridgewood
This large village with a population of 25,000 people didn’t have to work hard to rank second on the list. Supported by 11 public schools, Ridgewood’s average test scores are 36% higher than the rest of the nation. 97% of its residents are high school graduates, and more than two-thirds hold a college degree. The per capita income here is 144% higher than the rest of the country; the median household income, 182%. Being one of the best-off towns in New Jersey, Ridgewood’s unemployment rate beats the national average by 40%. Poverty is almost non-existent here when compared with other parts of the U.S. The overall crime rate is 76% lower than the national average, which means it’s safer than 91% of other cities in the country. The only downside of Ridgewood is its high cost of living, but then again, high cost of living comes with living in New Jersey. The average cost of living in New Jersey is more than in most parts of the US. So if you’re looking for the best of New Jersey, there’s no escaping a higher cost of living. You can only try to minimize it.
