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When it comes to the East Coast there are so many great places to live and it turns out that many of them are right here in the Garden State! Stacker ranked the best places to live on the East Coast and New Jersey represents with 10 towns on the list! From close proximity to NYC and Philly, to parks and trails which allow us to spend time in nature and the charm of local small businesses, our state really does offer something for everyone.

Using 2020 data from Niche cities, towns and suburbs in the following states were considered for the list: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. No more than 10 locations per state were included.

Here are the 10 NJ towns included on the list:

  • Princeton
  • Princeton Junction
  • Upper Montclair
  • Ridgewood
  • Mountain Lakes
  • Princeton Meadows
  • Springdale
  • Monmouth Junction
  • Westfield
  • New Providence

Princeton, which came in at #34 overall, has a population of 30,728 and a median home value of $833,000 (59% own). A university town, Princeton known for its bike trails and nature walks, the McCarter Theatre Center and of course Princeton University.

Coming in at #50, Ridgewood has a population of 25,269 and the median home value here is $738,700 (78% own). This town offers so much for its residents to see and do, from great restaurants to scenic parks.

Family-friendly Westfield took spot #74 on the list. With a population of 30,086 and a median home value of $727,600 (83% own) Westfield is known for its historic downtown, great schools and close proximity to NYC.

It’s easy to conclude one thing from this study: If you’re looking for a wonderful place to raise a family with a strong sense of community, NJ has a town that’s sure to be the right fit!