NJ Named Among 'Best States To Live' In 2025

New Jersey is getting the national love it deserves, placing among the top states to live in a recent national ranking by WalletHub.

The "Best States to Live In" for 2025 list ranks each of the states based on five key areas: Affordability, Economy, Education & Health, Quality of Life and Safety. A total of 51 indicators of livability across these five categories each are given corresponding weights and graded on a 100-point scale. WalletHub then uses this data to arrive at a state's weighted average.

New Jersey finished third on the list, behind just Idaho and Massachusetts. Its neighbors in New York and Pennsylvania also came in the top 10, sitting at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. The margin between the top 3 slots was razor-thin, with Massachusetts posting an overall score of 60.23, less than a full point above the Garden State with the bronze medal. New Mexico rounded out the list as the worst state to live in with an overall score of 39.68, followed by Louisiana and Arkansas.

Why New Jersey (According to WalletHub)

"New Jersey is the third-best state to live in, and it has the third-highest median household income in the country, at over $101,000. In addition, New Jersey residents have the second-lowest median debt, the equivalent of around 29% of what they earn in a year. The Garden State has done a good job of tackling poverty, too, with the sixth-lowest share of the population below the poverty line and the 10th-lowest food insecurity rate.

When it comes to health, New Jersey residents have the second-lowest premature death rate in the nation, the sixth-lowest obesity rate, and the seventh-best overall life expectancy. One reason for the low obesity rate in particular is the fact that the state has the sixth-most miles of trails and the fifth-most fitness centers per capita, which gives people plenty of opportunities to stay active.

Finally, New Jersey has the ninth-lowest violent crime rate and 11th-lowest property crime rate, due in part to the fact that it has the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita."

RELATED COVERAGE: Violent Crime In NJ: See Where Your Neighborhood Ranks

New Jersey Score Breakdown

Overall: 59.81
Affordability: 48
Economy: 25
Education & Health: 6
Quality of Life: 7
Safety: 1

The 51 Key Indicators Measured

Affordability: Housing Affordability, Median Annual Property Taxes, Cost of Living, Median Annual Household Income, Homeownership Rate

Economy: Unemployment Rate, Underemployment Rate, Sharecare Well-Being "Economic Security," Share of Population Living in Poverty, Median Debt per Median Earnings, Population Growth, Income Growth, Building-Permit Growth, Wealth Gap, General Tax-Friendliness, Entrepreneurial Activity, Job Opportunities, Foreclosure Rate, Bankruptcy Rate, Food Insecurity

Education & Health: Quality of Public School System, High School Graduation Rate, Share of Population Aged 25 & Older with a High School Diploma or Higher, Share of Insured Population, Quality of Public Hospital System, Premature-Death Rate, Poor or Fair Health, Life Expectancy, Share of Live Births with Low Birthweight, Share of Obese Adults, Share of Physically Inactive Adults

Quality of Life: Average Hours per Week, Average Commute Time (in Minutes), Miles of Trails for Bicycling & Walking per Total State Land Area, "Bicycle Friendly State" Ranking (proxy for Bike Score), Access to Public Transportation, Quality of Roads, Traffic Congestion, Restaurants per Capita, Bars per Capita, Museums per Capita, Performing Arts Centers per Capita, Movie Theaters per Capita, Fitness Centers per Capita, Accessibility of Beaches, Weather, Air Quality

Safety: Violent-Crime Rate, Property-Crime Rate, Traffic-related Fatalities per Capita, Total-Law Enforcement Employees per Capita

MORE FROM PATCH: 2 NJ ZIP Codes Among Top 10 'Hottest' Real Estate Markets In U.S.