Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey For 2020

If your family loves pizza and bagels, then you should definitely live in New Jersey. And today's your lucky day, because HomeSnacks is giving your family the ultimate life hack, we've created a list of the best places for families in New Jersey for 2020.

How did we determine New Jersey's most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in The Garden State with more than 10,000 residents. We looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We ended up with 97 family friendly New Jersey places that any family would be lucky to call home. Matter of fact, if you ask any New Jerseyite, they will tell you that New Jersey is the best and that their corner of this Mid-Atlantic State is above the rest. They will also tell you that the state is great for families because they are one of the wealthiest states in the country. New Jersey not only has one of the highest median household incomes, but they have plenty of extra money to spend on the things that matter. Like, making their neighborhoods safe, their schools competitive, and their families happy, healthy, and entertained.

Speaking of family entertainment, when New Jersey families are ready for some fun in the sun, there is plenty of family friendly fun to be had. We think the best family day in New Jersey would go something like this: first, a trip to the freshest bagel shop in Jersey City; then, a ferry ride across the Newark Bay to shop 'til you drop in Elizabeth; followed up by a slice of 'za' in Linden's Little Italy.

Want to know more? We suggest that you grab yourself a sunny spot at the Jersey Shore and read on.

While New Jersey might be one of the smallest states in size, it's one of the largest in terms of population. The burning question: what is it about New Jersey that make over 9 million people--3 million families happy to call it home?

We'll tell you, point blank, it has a lot to offer. And this is especially evident in New Jersey's number one best place to raise a family for 2020, Madison.

If you want to see how New Jersey's other amazing best places to raise a family faired, take a look at the list below. And if you don't see your favorite there, head to the bottom.

Check out some more reading about New Jersey and the best places for families in the country:

• Best Places To Live In New Jersey
• Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
• Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
• Best States To Raise A Family In America

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey For 2020

1. Madison

Source: Wikipedia User Jared Kofsky/Pl | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 16,042
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 46
Closest Major City: Newark
Households with kids: 39.6%
More on Madison: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 15,845, reflecting a drop in population of 685 from the 16,530 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 680 from the 15,850 counted in the 1990 Census. It is known as "The Rose City" and was named in honor of President James Madison.

2. New Providence

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 12,808
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 56
Closest Major City: Newark
Households with kids: 42.5%
More on New Providence: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,171, reflecting an increase of 264 from the 11,907 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 468 from the 11,439 counted in the 1990 Census.

3. River Edge

Source: Wikipedia User KForce at en.wi | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 11,530
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: Jersey City
Households with kids: 37.5%
More on River Edge: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

4. Glen Rock

Source: Wikipedia User AEMoreira042281 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 11,826
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 42
Closest Major City: Jersey City
Households with kids: 45.3%
More on Glen Rock: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Glen Rock is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,601, reflecting an increase of 55 from the 11,546 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 663 from the 10,883 counted in the 1990 Census.

5. Tenafly

Source: Wikipedia User JERRYE & ROY KL | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 14,687
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 63
Closest Major City: Jersey City
Households with kids: 49.9%
More on Tenafly: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

6. Kinnelon

Source: Flickr User Tom Hannigan | CC BY 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 10,132
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: Newark
Households with kids: 39.3%
More on Kinnelon: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

7. Haddonfield

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 11,369
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 57
Closest Major City: Philadelphia
Households with kids: 38.1%
More on Haddonfield: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 11,593, reflecting a decline of 66 from the 11,659 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 31 from the 11,628 counted in the 1990 Census.

8. Summit

Source: Wikipedia User Original upload | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 21,921
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 39
Closest Major City: Newark
Households with kids: 43.2%
More on Summit: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457, reflecting an increase of 326 from the 21,131 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,374 from the 19,757 counted in the 1990 Census. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census.

9. Westfield

Source: Wikipedia User Jared Kofsky/Pl | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 30,086
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 48
Closest Major City: Newark
Households with kids: 42.8%
More on Westfield: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Westfield is a town in Union County of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 30,316, reflecting an increase of 672 from the 29,644 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 774 from the 28,870 counted in the 1990 Census. According to a 2014 nationwide survey, Westfield is considered to be the 30th-safest city to live in the United States.

10. Lincoln Park

Source: Wikipedia User Mitchazenia | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 10,339
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 53
Closest Major City: Newark
Households with kids: 30.8%
More on Lincoln Park: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

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How do you determine which place is best for families in New Jersey anyways?

To give you the places in New Jersey which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what's family-friendly and what isn't.

So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.

How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Garden State

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of New Jersey, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

• Crime (Both violent and property)
• Quality of local schools
• Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
• % of households with children
• Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)

We then gave each city a Family Score.

The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For New Jersey, that meant a total of 97 cities. You can download the data here.

There You Have It - The Best Places To Raise A Family In New Jersey

If you're looking for a breakdown of cities in New Jersey ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

Here's a look at the best cities for singles New Jersey according to the data:

1. Somers Point
2. Manville
3. Lindenwold

For more new jersey reading, check out:

• Best Places To Retire In New Jersey
• Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
• Richest Cities In New Jersey

Where Are The Best Places For Families In New Jersey?