Best counties to raise a family in New Jersey

Written by:
September 1, 2023
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Best counties to raise a family in New Jersey

For people looking to find a home to raise a family in, choosing a county is an important decision. Most families place affordable homes, safe neighborhoods, a quality school system, and family-friendly activities at the top of their wish lists.

Stacker compiled a list of the best counties to raise a family in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks counties based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather.

The list features counties that boast some of the top schools and fun, family-friendly activities for every season. Keep reading to explore the best counties to raise a family. Maybe you'll find one that suits your brood.

#21. Cumberland County, New Jersey

- Population: 154,921
- Median home value: $168,900 (66% own)
- Median rent: $1,131 (34% own)
- Median household income: $58,397
- Top public schools: Johnstone School (grade A minus), Cumberland County Technical Education Center (grade A minus), Morris Goodwin School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Cumberland Christian School (grade B+), Bishop Schad Regional School (grade unavailable), Woodland Country Day School (grade unavailable)
- Top places to live: Hopewell Township (grade B), Stow Creek Township (grade B minus), Vineland (grade B minus)

#20. Salem County, New Jersey

- Population: 64,752
- Median home value: $187,400 (71% own)
- Median rent: $1,064 (29% own)
- Median household income: $67,898
- Top public schools: Oldmans Township School (grade A minus), Upper Pittsgrove School (grade B+), Mary S. Shoemaker School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Ranch Hope Strang School (grade unavailable)
- Top places to live: Woodstown (grade A minus), Mannington Township (grade B+), Pilesgrove Township (grade B)

#19. Ocean County, New Jersey

- Population: 630,057
- Median home value: $298,800 (80% own)
- Median rent: $1,538 (20% own)
- Median household income: $76,644
- Top public schools: Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science (grade A+), Island Heights Elementary School (grade A), Lavallette Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Donovan Catholic High School (grade A minus), Calvary Academy (grade A minus), Ocean County Christian Academy (grade A)
- Top places to live: Bay Head (grade A), Point Pleasant Beach (grade A), Lavallette (grade A)

#18. Essex County, New Jersey

- Population: 852,720
- Median home value: $414,000 (45% own)
- Median rent: $1,279 (55% own)
- Median household income: $67,826
- Top public schools: Millburn High School (grade A+), Livingston Senior High School (grade A+), Washington School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Newark Academy (grade A+), Montclair Kimberley Academy (grade A+), Golda Och Academy (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Upper Montclair (grade A+), Essex Fells (grade A+), Short Hills (grade A+)

#17. Passaic County, New Jersey

- Population: 521,067
- Median home value: $363,700 (52% own)
- Median rent: $1,367 (48% own)
- Median household income: $78,386
- Top public schools: Little Falls School No. 3 (grade A), Wayne Hills High School (grade A), Little Falls School No. 1 (grade A)
- Top private schools: Pioneer Academy (grade A+), Hawthorne Christian Academy (grade A+), Mary Help of Christians Academy (grade A)
- Top places to live: Wayne Township (grade A), Singac (grade A), Ringwood (grade A)

#16. Warren County, New Jersey

- Population: 109,354
- Median home value: $272,500 (72% own)
- Median rent: $1,177 (28% own)
- Median household income: $85,163
- Top public schools: Stewartsville Middle School (grade A minus), Phillipsburg High School (grade B+), Hope Township Elementary School (grade B+)
- Top private schools: Blair Academy (grade A+), Sts. Philip & James School (grade unavailable), Busy Bees Learning Center (grade unavailable)
- Top places to live: Panther Valley (grade A minus), Hackettstown (grade B), Phillipsburg (grade B)

#15. Cape May County, New Jersey

- Population: 95,488
- Median home value: $318,600 (78% own)
- Median rent: $1,197 (22% own)
- Median household income: $76,237
- Top public schools: Stone Harbor Elementary School (grade A minus), Ocean City Primary School (grade A minus), Upper Township Elementary School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Cape Christian Academy (grade B), Wildwood Catholic Academy (grade unavailable), Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School (grade unavailable)
- Top places to live: Cape May (grade A), Avalon (grade A), Ocean City (grade A)

#14. Sussex County, New Jersey

- Population: 144,492
- Median home value: $282,700 (84% own)
- Median rent: $1,387 (16% own)
- Median household income: $101,645
- Top public schools: Green Hills School (grade A), Alpine School (grade A), Helen Morgan School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Elite Preparatory Academy (grade A+), Pope John XXIII Regional High School (grade A), Veritas Christian Academy (grade B)
- Top places to live: Andover Township (grade A minus), Lake Mohawk (grade A minus), Fredon Township (grade B+)

#13. Atlantic County, New Jersey

- Population: 273,865
- Median home value: $222,600 (67% own)
- Median rent: $1,175 (33% own)
- Median household income: $66,473
- Top public schools: Mainland Regional High School (grade A), Egg Harbor Township High School (grade A), William H. Ross III Intermediate School (grade A)
- Top private schools: St. Augustine Preparatory School (grade A), Holy Spirit High School (grade A minus), The Pilgrim Academy (grade B+)
- Top places to live: Linwood (grade A), Northfield (grade A), Margate City (grade A)

#12. Hudson County, New Jersey

- Population: 713,264
- Median home value: $424,700 (32% own)
- Median rent: $1,552 (68% own)
- Median household income: $79,795
- Top public schools: Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School (grade A+), High Tech High School (grade A+), Jersey City Global Charter School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: The Hudson School (grade A+), Saint Peter's Prep (grade A+), St. Dominic Academy (grade A)
- Top places to live: Hoboken (grade A+), Waterfront (grade A+), Secaucus (grade A+)

#11. Camden County, New Jersey

- Population: 521,194
- Median home value: $211,400 (65% own)
- Median rent: $1,169 (35% own)
- Median household income: $75,485
- Top public schools: Haddonfield Memorial High School (grade A+), Cherry Hill High School East (grade A), Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Bishop Eustace Preparatory School (grade A), The King's Christian School (grade A minus), Camden Catholic High School (grade A minus)
- Top places to live: Springdale (grade A+), Greentree (grade A+), Haddonfield (grade A+)

#10. Gloucester County, New Jersey

- Population: 300,821
- Median home value: $232,800 (80% own)
- Median rent: $1,301 (20% own)
- Median household income: $93,208
- Top public schools: Gloucester County Institute of Technology (grade A minus), Kingsway Regional High School (grade A minus), Sewell School (grade A minus)
- Top private schools: Our Lady of Mercy Academy (grade A), Gloucester County Christian School (grade B), Friends School (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Richwood (grade A), Turnersville (grade A), Mullica Hill (grade A)

#9. Union County, New Jersey

- Population: 571,963
- Median home value: $393,900 (58% own)
- Median rent: $1,407 (42% own)
- Median household income: $87,369
- Top public schools: Union County Magnet High School (grade A+), Academy for Information Technology (grade A+), Academy for Allied Health Science (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Kent Place School (grade A+), Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child - Upper School (grade A+), Oratory Preparatory School (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Berkeley Heights Township (grade A+), Fanwood (grade A+), New Providence (grade A+)

#8. Burlington County, New Jersey

- Population: 460,102
- Median home value: $270,000 (76% own)
- Median rent: $1,444 (24% own)
- Median household income: $95,935
- Top public schools: Moorestown High School (grade A+), South Valley Elementary School (grade A+), George C. Baker Elementary School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Moorestown Friends School (grade A+), Doane Academy (grade A+), Holy Cross Preparatory Academy (grade A minus)
- Top places to live: Moorestown Township (grade A+), Chesterfield Township (grade A), Medford Township (grade A)

#7. Monmouth County, New Jersey

- Population: 642,160
- Median home value: $454,000 (75% own)
- Median rent: $1,523 (25% own)
- Median household income: $110,356
- Top public schools: High Technology High School (grade A+), Biotechnology High School (grade A+), Academy of Allied Health & Science (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Ranney School (grade A+), Trinity Hall (grade A), Christian Brothers Academy (grade A)
- Top places to live: Fair Haven (grade A+), Rumson (grade A+), Little Silver (grade A+)

#6. Hunterdon County, New Jersey

- Population: 128,807
- Median home value: $431,600 (84% own)
- Median rent: $1,492 (16% own)
- Median household income: $123,373
- Top public schools: Hunterdon Central Regional High School District (grade A), East Amwell Township (grade A), North Hunterdon High School (grade A)
- Top private schools: Immaculate Conception School (grade A minus), Foundations Preschool (grade unavailable), Acorn Montessori School (grade unavailable)
- Top places to live: Raritan Township (grade A+), Delaware Township (grade A), Bethlehem Township (grade A)

#5. Mercer County, New Jersey

- Population: 384,951
- Median home value: $295,400 (63% own)
- Median rent: $1,361 (37% own)
- Median household income: $85,687
- Top public schools: Princeton High School (grade A+), West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South (grade A+), Princeton Charter School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Princeton International School of Math and Science (grade A+), The Lawrenceville School (grade A+), The Peddie School (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Princeton Junction (grade A+), Princeton (grade A+), Pennington (grade A+)

#4. Morris County, New Jersey

- Population: 508,347
- Median home value: $474,500 (74% own)
- Median rent: $1,713 (26% own)
- Median household income: $123,727
- Top public schools: The Academy for Mathematics, Science & Engineering (grade A+), Morris County School of Technology (grade A+), West Morris Mendham High School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Delbarton School (grade A+), Morristown Beard School (grade A+), Gill St. Bernard's School (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Mountain Lakes (grade A+), Chatham Township (grade A+), Morris Township (grade A+)

#3. Middlesex County, New Jersey

- Population: 858,770
- Median home value: $362,900 (64% own)
- Median rent: $1,612 (36% own)
- Median household income: $96,883
- Top public schools: Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics, & Engineering Technologies (grade A+), West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North (grade A+), J.P. Stevens High School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: The Wardlaw + Hartridge School (grade A+), The Wilberforce School (grade A+), Overlake Preparatory Academy (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Plainsboro Center (grade A+), Metuchen (grade A+), Monmouth Junction (grade A+)

#2. Bergen County, New Jersey

- Population: 952,979
- Median home value: $489,600 (65% own)
- Median rent: $1,637 (35% own)
- Median household income: $109,497
- Top public schools: Bergen County Academies (grade A+), Bergen County Technical High School - Teterboro (grade A+), Tenafly High School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: Dwight-Englewood School (grade A+), Primoris Academy (grade A+), Saddle River Day School (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Ho-Ho-Kus (grade A+), Ridgewood (grade A+), River Edge (grade A+)

#1. Somerset County, New Jersey

- Population: 343,950
- Median home value: $444,700 (76% own)
- Median rent: $1,722 (24% own)
- Median household income: $121,695
- Top public schools: Ridge High School (grade A+), Montgomery High School (grade A+), Bridgewater-Raritan High School (grade A+)
- Top private schools: The Pingry School (grade A+), Rutgers Preparatory School (grade A+), Mount Saint Mary Academy (grade A+)
- Top places to live: Martinsville (grade A+), Montgomery Township (grade A+), Bernardsville (grade A+)

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