From bustling suburbs to scenic shore towns, New Jersey’s 21 counties each offer something unique. To spotlight what makes them stand out, Niche released its 2025 rankings of the Best Counties to Live in New Jersey for 2025.
No. 1 Somerset County
Leading the list is Somerset County, known for its picturesque farmland and rolling hills that blend seamlessly with its residential neighborhoods. Niche awarded it an overall grade of A+, highlighting top marks for public schools and family life. The county also earned an A for nightlife and diversity, a B+ for jobs, and a B for housing.
One of our favorite places is Pendry at Natirar in Peapack. This incredible mansion-turned-hotel is inside the 500-acre Natirar Park and houses the famed Ninety Acres restaurant and cooking school. Fun fact: Pendry was recently named one of the best new hotels on the planet.
Chef David Burke, one of our favorite homegrown chefs, opened one of his two Red Horse by David Burke restaurants in Bernardsville (the other is in Rumson). Aside from his popular clothesline bacon, lobster dumplings and cotton candy cake pops, the restaurant offers sushi, Tuesday Pasta Night, Wednesday Burger Night and Bistro Sundays, in addition to live music, comedy shows and game nights at The Bernie.
Bridgewater is home to both Bridgewater Commons mall, as well as the Somerset Patriots Minor League baseball team.
Hillsborough has the gorgeous grounds of Duke Farms, which has an orchid greenhouse plus a popular family of Bald Eagles you can watch via a live cam. Snyder’s Farm in Somerset is the place to pick berries and sunflowers ahead of its fall festival days. The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden has more than 3,000 roses of 345 varieties.
Downtown Somerville is a fun spot for a moms night out or an outing with the family. Tour of Somerville is America’s longest-running bike race, and takes place every Memorial Day weekend. Or take the kids to the planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg for a laser concert.
No. 2 Bergen County
Bergen County blends accessibility to New York City with suburban living. It’s home to major destinations like MetLife Stadium and American Dream.
Nature lovers will appreciate the scenery outside of the city. Tenafly Nature Center offers guided seasonal walks, as well as a Butterfly House. The James A. McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff has a wildlife sanctuary, educational science exhibits and plenty of gardens and trails.
The Ramapo Valley County Reservation in Mahwah is the largest park area in the county. Palisades Interstate Park boasts over 30 miles of rugged trails along the Hudson River.
Bergen County Zoo, located inside of Van Saun County Park in Paramus, also has a train and carousel. The Wildlife Conservation Center in Garfield is known as New Jersey’s “bat cave.” The Barnyard Petting Zoo at Abma’s Farm in Wyckoff has goats, sheep, alpaca, donkeys, ponies, bunnies and pigs.
Demarest Farms in Hillsdale offers pick-your-own apples, peaches and pumpkins.
The Buehler Challenger & Science Center in Paramus channels your inner astronaut with space missions, flight simulations and team-building exercises. Look at aircraft, helicopters and airplane models at the Aviation Hall of Fame in Teterboro.
For entertainment, BergenPAC in Englewood hosts all kinds of performances in music, comedy and acting. The 100-plus-year-old Williams Center in Rutherford is home to comedy open mic nights, film screenings, and board game nights.
Medieval Times in Lyndhurst will have you cheering for jousting knights while feasting on fried chicken. And for one more season only, Field Station: Dinosaurs at Overpeck County Park in Leonia will present its 30 life-sized, moving dinosaurs, in addition to science demos, music shows, a bounce house, and a T-Rex Feeding Frenzy.
For a historical perspective, visit Old Stone House in Ramsey, also known as the Westervelt–Ackerson House, an 18th-century Dutch Colonial house where you can see the house’s furniture, toys, farm equipment and more up close. The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus channels Gen. George Washington, who stayed at the house-turned-museum for four days in 1778. The Waldwick Railroad Museum of Local History has original pieces of architecture and artifacts from the turn of the 20th century.
Bergen County is home to some of the biggest and best diners in the state, like State Line Diner in Mahwah, Suburban Diner in Paramus, Brownstone Pancake Factory in Edgewater.
The pizza is among the best outside of NYC. Barcelona’s Restaurant in Garfield has been known for its thin crust pies since 1933. Pizza Town USA in Elmwood Park has an old-school vibe. And Uncle Louie’s Pizza in Franklin Lakes has recipes passed down for generations.
And speaking of NYC, you can’t beat some of the views. The Ross Dock Picnic Area at the Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee gives you a breathtaking view of the George Washington Bridge and NYC.
Residents wait all year for Bergen County Winter Wonderland, with its open-air ice skating rink, ice bumper cars and access to the zoo. Another Christmas-time tradition is the lighting of Big Santa atop Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus – a mall that’s also one of our faves for Dopamine Land, Planet Playskool and Pinstripes bistro, bowling and bocce center.
A significant addition to the county is the new Valley Hospital and its modern private rooms with AI technology.
According to Niche, Bergen County’s ratings are: A+ overall; A+ for public schools, nightlife and family life; A for diversity; B for jobs; but C+ for housing.
No. 3 Middlesex County
Middlesex County is the epitome of Central Jersey. New Brunswick is the unofficial capital, home to Rutgers University, the county court system and a bustling downtown along George Street and Easton Avenue. Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick is a favorite for standup.
There are other quaint downtown areas, including Metuchen, Cranbury, Milltown and Highland Park.
Middlesex has a lot of cultural centers, from the State Theatre New Jersey and George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick to Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick to the former Forum Theatre in the Arts District of Metuchen. Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center has a schedule of everything from mediums to music to magicians. Starland Ballroom in Sayreville hosts more than 100 musicians and bands every year on their main stage. During the summer, Edison brings three different plays to the stage at Roosevelt Park during Plays-in-the-Park.
The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park is a museum dedicated to Thomas Edison with original artifacts on display. The Zimmerli Art Museum is located on Rutgers’ campus in New Brunswick, with thousands of different time periods’ artwork to view and admire. One of the lesser-known free museums is the Rutgers Geology Museum, where you can see fossils, body replicas, statues and mummies.
The Woodbridge Center Mall’s Dave & Buster’s has hundreds of arcade and video games, plus a restaurant, full bar and party rooms. Supercharged Entertainment New Jersey in Edison offers a go-kart track, gaming arcade, axe throwing, a drop and twist tower, and a virtual reality experience.
Rutgers Gardens in North Brunswick is a botanical garden that’s open year-round, where you can go on a walk or hike, bike, and admire the flowers and other plants in Rutgers’ “living museum.” Von Thun’s Country Farm Market in South Brunswick (there’s a Washington Twp. location in Warren County, too) is open spring through fall and offers pick-your-own fruit, educational field trips, greenhouse flowers, and a farm market. Middlesex County EARTH Center on the border of North and South Brunswick has a pretty butterfly garden and programming by Rutgers Master Gardeners.
Some of our favorite restaurants are Cuzin’s Seafood & Clam Bar in New Brunswick, Mezcal Modern Mexican Steakhouse in Old Bridge, or the world recording-holding tequila bar, Meximodo in Metuchen.
The overall Niche grade is A+, plus A+ ranks for its public schools, diversity and family life. Other grades are A for nightlight, and B- for housing and jobs.
No. 4 for Morris County
Morris County has an A+ rating overall, with A+ grades in public schools and family life. Other ranks are A for nightlife, B+ for diversity, B for jobs and B- for housing.
Morristown, the county’s namesake because of Colonel Lewis Morris, then governor of the Province of New Jersey back in the 1700s, has an extensive downtown with shops, restaurants, the Mayo Performing Arts Center, Historic Speedwell (the birthplace of the telegraph), and its yearly Festival of Books. The Smithsonian-affiliated Morris Museum has collections of rocks, unconventional instruments and American Indian artifacts and frequently runs changing exhibits.
In Morris Township, step back in time at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, where docents in costume answer questions about life in the late 1800s. Then take a stroll through the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, a 127-acre park filled with cherry trees, a fern garden and a marsh meadow garden.
The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison connects New Jersey residents with the state’s early history, culture and trades.
Mountain Lakes has a high percentage of families with kids under 18, but is also considered a “resort getaway” town, too. The Grimes Homestead (a large home that dates back to the 18th century) served as a station on the Underground Railroad.
Mendham has 850 acres of park land (spread over eight different parks) and 55 miles of walking trails covering the town’s 17.8 square miles. You can swim in the summer and sled in the winter at Lewis Morris Park, play on the fields at Mosley Preserve or spend a long afternoon peddling paddle boats, playing laser tag or catching outdoor movies around the bonfire at Brookside Beach.
Mendham is also home to the Schiff Nature Preserve—a 423-acre tract of land with year-round educational programs for families. The 8,000-acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Vernon has a lot of activities for budding naturalists.
Stony Hill Farms in Chester unveiled a new tasting room, adding Rebel Sheep Wine Co. as a way to cut down on food waste by using farm crops to make wines. Alstede Farms is nearby, with its pick-your-own orchards, pancake breakfasts and farmers markets.
When it’s time to eat, The Famished Frog in Morristown is a kid-friendly spot, with its pretzel burger, mac and cheese and mini hamburgers – plus Moroccan salmon, Pad Thai noodles and fish and chips. Jefferson Diner in Lake Hopatcong has a big menu and even bigger portions—it’s been featured on Food Network’s Diners Drive-ins and Dives, and Unwrapped. Forte Pizzeria and Ristorante in Randolph has both regular and brick oven pizza. Arthur’s Tavern in Morris Plains is a steakhouse with a famous huge 10-ounce burger.
One of the spectacular events – so spectacular it only happens every two years – is Mansion in May, where an esteemed property is revamped, room by room, by interior design firms as a fundraiser for Morristown Medical Center. The Denville Arts Council schedules a Fairy Trail Walk, summer music concerts, a garlic fest and holiday markets throughout the year.
No. 5 for Mercer County
Mercer County has an A+ rating for the overall county, diversity and family life. A grades were given for public schools and nightlife. Mercer got a B for jobs, but C+ for housing.
Probably its most well-known town, Princeton needs no introduction. The university campus, Nassau Street and Palmer Square grounds, Morven Museum & Garden, MarketFair mall and Princeton Shopping Center are key areas.
Nearby Princeton Junction, which is technically part of West Windsor Twp., is consistently named one of the best places to live in NJ for its suburban atmosphere but proximity to downtown Princeton.
Hopewell Valley consists of Hopewell Twp., Hopewell Borough, Pennington and Titusville – a big draw is Howell Living History Farm’s free Saturday events. Washington Crossing State Park is nearby, a great spot for hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing and hunting. It’s where General George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Night in 1776. The Lawrence Hopewell Trail connects Hopewell and Lawrence Township along a 22-mile path where you can walk during the day or bike under the moonlight.
Plan for a tour of the statehouse in Trenton, then head to the New Jersey State Museum, which has Civil War flags, dinosaur fossils and larger-than-life toys on display. Catch a twlight game at Trenton Thunder ballpark.
Sourland Mountain Spirits is a distillery for bourbon, gin and vodka, with its own farmers market, and they partner with Brick Farm Tavern for delicious farm-to-table meals and pairings. Princeton has tons of restaurants in the square, including Yankee Doodle Tap Room, Winberie’s and PJ’s Pancake House.
The Best New Jersey Counties to Live in 2025, according to Niche:
- Somerset County
- Bergen County
- Middlesex County
- Morris County
- Mercer County
- Monmouth County
- Hunterdon County
- Burlington County
- Hudson County
- Union County
- Gloucester County
- Cape May County
- Sussex County
- Camden County
- Atlantic County
- Warren County
The following counties were not ranked:
Ocean County
Essex County
Passaic County
Salem County
Cumberland County
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