AC Lands on Best Places to Live in NJ List — Dead Last

U.S. News & ⁠World Report has placed two South Jersey towns on its list of the “Best Places to Live in New Jersey.”

If you are surprised at the rankings, you have good reason to be.

Atlantic City ranks #14 in this survey, and Vineland placed second in the state.

The rankings are of the state's most metropolitan areas, and, honestly, some of the magazine's rationale for its ratings left me a little confused.

Vineland Scores Second Place in Best Place to Live in NJ

Siting an affordable cost of living in the "Dandelion Capital of the World", U.S. News & ⁠World Report points out that Vineland's cost of home ownership is more affordable, with the national home value of $370,489, and Vineland's median home cost of only $230,160.

Vineland offers a lower cost of living compared to similarly sized cities.

The ranking gives Vineland a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, its second-best ranking for New Jersey cities behind Cllfiton, Passaic County.

U.S. News & World Report likes Vineland's lower average commute time of 18.09 minutes, which is below the national average.

Vineland also gets good grades for the average monthly rent of only $1,082 a month and the diversity of the population.

The median household income in Vineland is $71,211

Vineland loses points because of its high unemployment rate. Vineland's 9% unemplyment is twice as high as the national average of 4.5%.

Atlantic City Ranks 14th in Best Place to Live in NJ

Atlantic City is ranked fourteenth on a list of 14 cities in the state, with a score of 2.9.

I'm not sure that's a win.

Paterson, Trenton, and Camden finished ahead of AC.

U.S. News & ⁠World Report spotlights Atlantic City's economic shortcomings, saying, "Atlantic City offers a lower value of living compared to similarly sized cities".

The study points out Atlantic City's 11% unemplyment rate is much worse than the national 4.5% average.

The median household income in Atlantic City is $38,756, compared to the national average of $83,730. That's a big loss.

Even Atlantic City's percentage of single people -- 73.1% -- isn't a good thing.

Where is any real positive information about Atlantic City to justify its inclusion as one of the best places to live in New Jersey?

Let me be clear.

I am a supporter of Atlantic City and want the best for the city and its residents. I want Atlantic City to reach its potential. But it's not there now, and the statistics used in this publication prove that.

Are you telling me what a great place Atlantic City is to live, or just making clear where it is coming up short?

I can only conclude that just because your city is listed in a study called the 'Best Places to Live in New Jersey', doesn't mean your city meets the qualifications for that title.