1 New Jersey Location Makes U.S. News Best Places Lists – Newark, NJ Patch
NEW JERSEY — A New Jersey city made the cut for 2020 “Best Places to Live” and “Best Places to Retire” in the United States, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
This year’s lists evaluate the 150 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States based on affordability, job prospects and desirability. Read about the methodology here.
Only one New Jersey city was on either list: Trenton.
Trenton placed on the “Best Places to Live” at number 111, earning an overall score of 6.3 out of 10. It also cracked the “Best Places to Retire” at number 80, earning an overall score of 6.5 out of 10.
Here’s what U.S. News & World Report had to say about the city:
“The diverse, scenic Trenton metro area mixes the old and new. With a history that predates the founding of the U.S., New Jersey’s capital city was the location of Revolutionary War battles and is home to a number of museums. Yet, it still has a variety of modern attractions and entertainment, and its proximity to the Delaware River means locals can participate in aquatic sports and enjoy an assortment of wildlife. Trenton’s location makes it convenient to New York; Philadelphia; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and the Jersey Shore. The abundance of major highways and local roadways allows for a smooth flow of traffic. The region is economically diverse. Trenton has a high poverty rate, but surrounding towns, including Princeton, are more affluent.”
Here’s a look at how Trenton scored in key areas:
- Desirability: 5.5
- Value: 5.2
- Job market: 8.2
- Quality of life: 6.6
- Net migration: 5.4
To provide a more broad and accurate reflection of where Americans want to live and retire, U.S. News increased the number of metropolitan areas evaluated for both sets of rankings from 125 to 150.
To determine the best places to live, researchers took into consideration the job market, housing affordability, quality of life, desirability and net migration ratings, among other factors.
Cities on the list were also determined in part by public survey, taken five months after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of respondents weighed in on what qualities they consider important when choosing where they’re going to put down roots.
U.S. News also looked at data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as its own rankings of the Best High Schools and Best Hospitals.
Cities were then scored in several areas, which were used to determine the overall score.
Boulder, Colorado, debuted on the Best Places to Live ranking at No. 1 this year, while Denver held at No. 2, and Austin, Texas, fell from the top spot to No. 3.
The coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest may have had an impact on how people perceive some cities this year, researchers said. Desirability was the most significant factor in ranking decreases for hard-hit cities like Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City and Washington, D.C.
See the full list of Best Places To Live.
To determine the best places in the United States to retire, U.S. News looked at measures including happiness, housing affordability, health care quality, taxes, desirability and job market ratings.
These measures were also weighted by the results of a nationwide public survey of people nearing retirement age (ages 45-59) and those who are retirement age (60 or older) to find out what matters most when deiding where to retire.
U.S. News also used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as its Best Hospitals rankings.
This year’s list of Best Places to Retire is dominated by Florida metro areas, largely due to affordable homes, low taxes and high ratings for happiness and desirability.
Increases in desirability and job market scores lifted Sarasota to No. 1 this year, overtaking Fort Myers, which fell to No. 2. Port. St. Lucie’s housing affordability score decreased slightly, but increases in desirability, job market and health care scores helped it jump two places to No. 3.
See the full list of Best Places To Retire.
This article contains reporting from the Patch national desk.
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