4 Bergen County Towns Make AARP Lists Of Best Places To Live

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The American Association of Retired Persons released its "Top 100 places to live for older adults" list last week — and Bergen County had a strong showing.

The non-profit, which advocates for Americans over 50, released four lists last Tuesday of best places to live, based on varoius metrics.

Criteria included availability and cost of housing, housing options for people of all ages and abilities, walkability, safety, access to shops and transportation, job availability, engagement (ability to get involved), nondiscrimination, voter participation, and more.

These communities made the top 10 on their overall list:

1. San Francisco, Calif.
2. Montgomery County, Md.
3. Seattle, Wash.
4. Ramsey County, Minn.
5. Fairfax County, Va.
6. New York, NY
7. Boston, Mass.
8. Nassau County, NY
9. Portland, Ore.
10. Bergen County, NJ

Hudson and Union counties made the top 25.

Separate Lists By Population

The group also published three lists by population — for large communities (population 100,000 to 499,999), midsize communities (25,000 to 99,999), and smaller communities.

That's where Bergen County towns shined.

The nonprofit noted that some of these communities could be navigated without a car: "Little need to drive in many of these midsize communities."

The top 5 "midsize communities" were:

1. Cliffside Park, NJ
2. Fort Lee, NJ
3. Portland, Maine
4. Burlington, VT
5. Rockville, MD.

And Bergenfield came in at 11.

For communities of 5,000 to 24,999, Fairview came in at number 12.

The site offered a glimpse into their criteria. Of Cliffside Park, they wrote, "Compared to the national average, it offers more convenient access to a diverse mix of jobs, libraries, groceries, parks and farmers markets, resulting in impressive scores in the neighborhood category."

Cliffside Park, Fairview, and Fort Lee are located along the same slice of the Hudson River, facing Manhattan, with buses across the river.

The AARP, founded in 1958, focuses on the 125 million Americans 50 or older, saying, "AARP empowers people to choose how they live as they age...[they] want their money, health and happiness to last as long as they do. We are a wise friend and fierce defender, focusing on the priorities of older Americans."

See the full list here.