2 NJ Towns Among Money's 2019 'Best Places To Live In America'

NEW JERSEY – Two New Jersey towns made Money magazine's coveted list of Best Places To Live In America for 2019.

The new rankings, released Monday in partnership with realtor.com, were compiled by looking at more than 160,000 data points, including economic health, cost of living, diversity, public education, crime and income, according to Money. Reporters also researched each community, interviewed residents and checked out neighborhoods.

The study included only towns with populations of 50,000 or more, but excluded communities with more than double the national crime risk, less than 85 percent of their state's median household income or lack of diversity.

That left Money with 1,796 cities, and Piscataway and Franklin Township in Somerset County were the only New Jersey towns to make the list. Both towns border New Brunswick, home of Rutgers University.

Piscataway was number 68 while Franklin 88th on the list. Last year, Parsippany was number 26, while Union was number 43 on the list.

Money has said New Jersey communities benefit from their own schools, transportation connections to New York City and their parks.

Piscataway Mayor Brian C. Wahler said he and the Township Council "are thrilled that Piscataway has achieved this national designation.” Rutgers University has two campuses in Piscataway.

“The quality of life we enjoy in our community has been awarded a prominent and influential seal of approval,” he said.

Township officials said they've made the accomplishment through wise financial stewardship, providing tax rates that have been reduced by 12.8 percent over the past two years while building a $32 million Community Center and maintaining an AA+ stable bond rating with Standard & Poor’s.

The township also has state-of-the-art logistics centers that are providing good paying jobs for hard-working residents, the township says.

“Whether it is building the Piscataway Community Center, refurbishing parks or resurfacing roads, our community continues to move forward,” Wahler said.

The towns have made multiple "best places to live" rankings over the years.

Some Piscataway stats:

Population: 59,166
Median family income: $90,442
Projected job growth: 2.8 percent
Median home price: $311,867

Some Franklin Township stats:

Population: 67,419
Median family income: $90,442
Projected job growth: 3.1 percent
Median home price: $311,867

Find homes for sale in Piscataway and Franklin Township via realtor.com.

According to the rankings, these are the 5 Best Places To Live In America:

1. Clarksville, Tennessee
2. Round Rock, Texas
3. Fishers, Indiana
4. Fulton River District, Illinois
5. Country Club Heights, North Carolina

See the full top 50 list here.