Best overall
Sussex County
Overall score 66.3
Economy 66.8 / Affordability 57.1
State rankings
Best Counties to Live in New Jersey
Compare counties in New Jersey by affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and quality-of-life tradeoffs.
Use the county-size filter to compare large metro counties, mid-size counties, small counties, and rural areas separately. These modules are a starting point, then you can open the full rankings table or compare individual counties.
County size
County size helps compare places with similar scale. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.
Showing all 21 New Jersey counties
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Put New Jersey counties side by side.
Estimate moving costs
Compare housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, insurance, and tax-pressure estimates.
Open New Jersey rankings
Open the full New Jersey ranking table with filters.
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Scan county scores geographically across the country.
New Jersey county rankings at a glance
Compact winners for common county-search priorities.
Best for families
Sussex County
Family score 76.0
Schools 95.5 / Safety 85.3
Best value
Sussex County
Value score 49.6
Affordability 57.1 / Taxes 1.7
Most affordable
Gloucester County
Affordability 61.4
Typical home $379,106
Best schools
Morris County
Schools 99.9
Safety 87.2 / Economy 73.2
Safest
Ocean County
Safety 100
Schools 89.2 / Peace 11.4
Low taxes
Cape May County
Taxes 44
Affordability 9.7 / Typical home $785,670
Peace & quiet
Salem County
Peace & Quiet 75
Density and built-environment signals
Top counties by category
Use these short lists to jump into the state rankings that match your priorities.
Best overall counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Sussex County
Typical home $437,745
66.3
Overall
- 2Hunterdon County
Typical home $629,111
66.1
Overall
- 3Warren County
Typical home $419,399
63.4
Overall
- 4Morris County
Typical home $697,930
61.5
Overall
- 5Somerset County
Typical home $656,762
61.5
Overall
Best counties for families in New Jersey
View full- 1Sussex County
Typical home $437,745
76.0
Family
- 2Hunterdon County
Typical home $629,111
75.8
Family
- 3Warren County
Typical home $419,399
71.0
Family
- 4Morris County
Typical home $697,930
69.3
Family
- 5Somerset County
Typical home $656,762
68.4
Family
Best value counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Sussex County
Typical home $437,745
49.6
Value
- 2Hunterdon County
Typical home $629,111
46.8
Value
- 3Cumberland County
Typical home $271,138
46.7
Value
- 4Warren County
Typical home $419,399
46.6
Value
- 5Burlington County
Typical home $417,347
44.5
Value
Most affordable counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Gloucester County
Typical home $379,106
61.4
Afford.
- 2Salem County
Typical home $287,364
61.3
Afford.
- 3Sussex County
Typical home $437,745
57.1
Afford.
- 4Cumberland County
Typical home $271,138
56.5
Afford.
- 5Burlington County
Typical home $417,347
55.3
Afford.
Best school counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Morris County
Typical home $697,930
99.9
Schools
- 2Hunterdon County
Typical home $629,111
99.8
Schools
- 3Somerset County
Typical home $656,762
99.6
Schools
- 4Bergen County
Typical home $767,390
99.4
Schools
- 5Monmouth County
Typical home $759,386
98.3
Schools
Lowest tax-score counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Cape May County
Typical home $785,670
44
Taxes
- 2Ocean County
Typical home $537,945
18.3
Taxes
- 3Bergen County
Typical home $767,390
14.4
Taxes
- 4Monmouth County
Typical home $759,386
13.8
Taxes
- 5Morris County
Typical home $697,930
8.3
Taxes
Quietest counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Salem County
Typical home $287,364
75
Quiet
- 2Cumberland County
Typical home $271,138
69
Quiet
- 3Hunterdon County
Typical home $629,111
64.9
Quiet
- 4Sussex County
Typical home $437,745
64.2
Quiet
- 5Warren County
Typical home $419,399
63.7
Quiet
Safest counties in New Jersey
View full- 1Ocean County
Typical home $537,945
100
Safety
- 2Cumberland County
Typical home $271,138
100
Safety
- 3Morris County
Typical home $697,930
87.2
Safety
- 4Hunterdon County
Typical home $629,111
85.9
Safety
- 5Sussex County
Typical home $437,745
85.3
Safety
Popular New Jersey county comparisons
Put two counties side by side before you narrow the search.
Read more about New Jersey
How to choose a county in New Jersey
The best county in New Jersey depends on what you need most. Families may care more about schools and safety, budget-focused movers may care more about affordability and taxes, and quiet-living households may care more about density and peace & quiet. Large counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so use the county-size filter to compare places with similar scale.
Best for different needs
Best overall counties in New Jersey
For best overall counties in New Jersey, Sussex County, Hunterdon County, and Warren County stand out in this model because they combine several public-data signals instead of winning on only one category.
View this rankingBest counties for families in New Jersey
For families, Sussex County, Hunterdon County, and Warren County score well in the family blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet.
View this rankingMost affordable counties in New Jersey
For affordability-focused movers, Gloucester County, Salem County, and Sussex County may appeal because they score well on housing and income tradeoff signals in the current model.
View this rankingBest school counties in New Jersey
For school-first households, Morris County, Hunterdon County, and Somerset County lead the current school score, though families should still compare district-level details.
View this rankingBest low-tax counties in New Jersey
For lower tax-pressure searches, Cape May County, Ocean County, and Bergen County score well on the tax model, but buyers should still check local property taxes and carrying costs.
View this rankingBest quiet counties in New Jersey
For quieter-living searches, Salem County, Cumberland County, and Hunterdon County stand out on peace & quiet signals such as density and built-environment indicators.
View this rankingWhat to watch before moving to New Jersey
Compare county scale carefully in New Jersey; large metro counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.
Check town-level housing costs, commute patterns, school districts, and local services before making a final move decision.
Frequently asked questions about the best counties in New Jersey
What is the best county to live in New Jersey?
The best county depends on your priorities. In this ranking model, Sussex County currently scores highest overall, but families, budget-focused movers, and quiet-living households may prefer different counties.
What is the best county in New Jersey for families?
Based on the family ranking blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet, Sussex County stands out in this model.
What is the most affordable county in New Jersey?
Gloucester County scores highly on affordability in this model, but buyers should still compare home prices, taxes, insurance, commute costs, and local job access.
How should I compare large and small counties?
Use the county-size filter. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so comparing similar county sizes usually gives a more realistic shortlist.
Are these rankings based on reviews?
No. These rankings use public-data signals such as affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and peace & quiet. Local reviews and personal visits should still be part of a final decision.
Which New Jersey counties score well for schools or taxes?
Morris County currently leads the school-score view, while Cape May County stands out on the tax-score view. Use the rankings presets to compare those priorities separately.
All New Jersey counties
Showing all 21 New Jersey counties ranked by the default generated overall score.
| Rank | County | Overall | Economy | Afford. | Schools | Safety | Taxes | Peace & Quiet | Typical home | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sussex County FIPS 34037 | 66.3 | 66.8 | 57.1 | 95.5 | 85.3 | 1.7 | 64.2 | $437,745 | $116,186 |
| 2 | Hunterdon County FIPS 34019 | 66.1 | 73.9 | 45.6 | 99.8 | 85.9 | 1.7 | 64.9 | $629,111 | $141,715 |
| 3 | Warren County FIPS 34041 | 63.4 | 70.7 | 51.3 | 91.5 | 75 | 1.7 | 63.7 | $419,399 | $100,869 |
| 4 | Morris County FIPS 34027 | 61.5 | 73.2 | 33.6 | 99.9 | 87.2 | 8.3 | 17.6 | $697,930 | $137,326 |
| 5 | Somerset County FIPS 34035 | 61.5 | 73.9 | 39.2 | 99.6 | 80.5 | 4.1 | 16.3 | $656,762 | $140,374 |
| 6 | Burlington County FIPS 34005 | 61.4 | 71.1 | 55.3 | 89.6 | 62.1 | 1.7 | 47.5 | $417,347 | $108,111 |
| 7 | Gloucester County FIPS 34015 | 60 | 65.8 | 61.4 | 88.4 | 62 | 1.7 | 21.8 | $379,106 | $105,115 |
| 8 | Bergen County FIPS 34003 | 56.4 | 71.9 | 16.1 | 99.4 | 81.5 | 14.4 | 16.5 | $767,390 | $124,884 |
| 9 | Monmouth County FIPS 34025 | 55.4 | 71.1 | 20.9 | 98.3 | 70.6 | 13.8 | 14.9 | $759,386 | $124,845 |
| 10 | Ocean County FIPS 34029 | 55.4 | 60.6 | 20.1 | 89.2 | 100 | 18.3 | 11.4 | $537,945 | $89,863 |
| 11 | Middlesex County FIPS 34023 | 54 | 66.5 | 28.1 | 97.8 | 65.2 | 1.7 | 16.5 | $579,433 | $111,549 |
| 12 | Mercer County FIPS 34021 | 48.5 | 67.6 | 43.4 | 75.6 | 30 | 1.7 | 19.6 | $439,747 | $100,645 |
| 13 | Union County FIPS 34039 | 44.3 | 63.3 | 15.4 | 85 | 43.9 | 1.7 | 17.3 | $623,206 | $103,202 |
| 14 | Cape May County FIPS 34009 | 43.8 | 45.5 | 9.7 | 84.4 | 40 | 44 | 54.3 | $785,670 | $91,128 |
| 15 | Camden County FIPS 34007 | 43.5 | 54.7 | 52.3 | 60.1 | 24 | 1.7 | 19.2 | $350,617 | $88,755 |
| 16 | Salem County FIPS 34033 | 43.5 | 44.2 | 61.3 | 57.5 | 11.5 | 1.7 | 75 | $287,364 | $79,960 |
| 17 | Cumberland County FIPS 34011 | 43.4 | 30.7 | 56.5 | 14.9 | 100 | 1.7 | 69 | $271,138 | $67,436 |
| 18 | Atlantic County FIPS 34001 | 39.6 | 45.3 | 37.9 | 55.6 | 33.2 | 1.7 | 51.4 | $376,749 | $78,050 |
| 19 | Hudson County FIPS 34017 | 36.9 | 61.3 | 12 | 53.4 | 44.5 | 5 | 13.5 | $636,231 | $91,795 |
| 20 | Essex County FIPS 34013 | 31.3 | 48.3 | 11.5 | 68.4 | 10.1 | 4.1 | 14.6 | $657,085 | $80,789 |
| 21 | Passaic County FIPS 34031 | 29.9 | 49.8 | 11.5 | 37.7 | 39.3 | 1.7 | 20.1 | $592,192 | $87,522 |