New Jersey Has 3 of the Best Places to Live in America, Study Says

New Jersey Has 3 of the Best Places to Live in America, Study Says

Patch / 24/7 Wall St  January 25, 2017

Looking to live among prosperous, healthy people who live lives relatively free from financial struggle? New Jersey has them, one study says, even if they are among the most expensive places to live in America.


The data compiler 24/7 Wall St. developed a list of the 25 best counties in which to live, based on an index based on three social measures — educational attainment, poverty rate and life expectancy. 24/7 then ranked counties based on their well-being

17. Morris County, New Jersey
> 5-yr. population change: +1.7%
> Nov. unemployment rate: 3.2%
> Poverty rate: 4.5%
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.3 years

24/7 says Morris Countyis one of just 11 counties in the U.S. with a six-figure median annual household income. 

With over half of all area households earning at least $100,000 a year, relatively few area residents face serious financial hardship. Only 4.5% of Morris County’s nearly half a million residents live in poverty, less than a third of the national 15.5% poverty rate.

Morris County is within commuting distance of New York City, one of the largest most diverse job markets in the country. The relative availability of jobs in the area likely reduces the share of county workers out of a job. Morris County’s 3.2% unemployment rate is well below the 4.6% national unemployment rate...