Two New Jersey Cities Named Best to Raise a Family Raises Questions
We're coming up on the time of year when people start venturing out to find new homes.
There's a lot that needs to be considered, especially if you are raising a family.
Whether families are spreading their wings and going from an apartment to a house, or moving to a new city altogether, location is extremely important.
I came across an article from Wallet Hub that listed the best and worst cities in America to raise a family.
I was surprised to see only two New Jersey cities make the cut, so I dove into Wallet Hub's methodology.
In order to determine which cities are most conducive to family life, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across five key dimensions: 1) Family Fun, 2) Health & Safety, 3) Education & Child Care, 4) Affordability and 5) Socio-economics.
Now things started to get clearer. The criteria used here are pretty solid.
The findings based on that criteria were, well, shocking.
Coming in at #70:
Jersey City
At first, I was like, huh? While Jersey City is seeing a bit of a "rebirth," the majority of the city struggles with crime, unemployment, and homelessness.
There is, however, a trendy section of JC that I wish I could afford to live in. This neighborhood includes high-rise apartments with stunning views of New York City, upscale restaurants, and popular nightclubs.
There are also private schools that are said to be a big improvement from the Jersey City public schools.
While Jersey City is never a place that I would recommend to someone raising a family, it does have the convenience of being a short trip to Manhattan. If you can afford to live in the better-developed sections, it's not the worst place to be.
This one is going to blow your mind. Ranking at #177:
Newark
What?! The fact that "best places to raise a family" and "Newark" are lumped together is unbelievable.
Granted, Newark is at the bottom of this list, but still. Newark?
Would you ever say to a family member or friend that's looking to move to New Jersey, "have you looked in Newark?"
I feel bad because the town has so much against it, and despite valiant tries, it still remains a tough, and dangerous place to be.
Speaking of dangerous, here are the New Jersey towns that experts say you should stay away from.
