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Best Cities for Families in New Jersey

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  New Jersey

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in New Jersey

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 88.4
Rainbow Lakes, NJ
1,376 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $531,700
#2
Score 88
Mount Tabor, NJ
1,127 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 69/100K
Home Affordability $415,600
#3
Score 88
Lake Hiawatha, NJ
10,406 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 47/100K
Home Affordability $402,500
#4
Score 87.3
Lambertville, NJ
4,141 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 26/100K
Home Affordability $534,100
#5
Score 87
Mount Hope, NJ
3,082 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 90/100K
Home Affordability $387,800
#6
Score 86.9
Cedar Knolls, NJ
4,754 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 69/100K
Home Affordability $610,100
#7
Score 86.9
Mendham, NJ
4,977 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $764,000
#8
Score 86.6
Morris Plains, NJ
6,214 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 34/100K
Home Affordability $609,700
#9
Score 86.5
Bernardsville, NJ
7,871 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 26/100K
Home Affordability $737,600
#10
Score 86.3
White Meadow Lake, NJ
8,706 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 31/100K
Home Affordability $441,000
#11
Score 86.2
Mountain Lakes, NJ
4,535 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $915,100
#12
Score 86.1
Whippany, NJ
8,862 residents
Schools 7.5
Safety 17/100K
Home Affordability $612,500

Full Ranking, New Jersey

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Rainbow Lakes NJ 88.4
2 Mount Tabor NJ 88
3 Lake Hiawatha NJ 88
4 Lambertville NJ 87.3
5 Mount Hope NJ 87
6 Cedar Knolls NJ 86.9
7 Mendham NJ 86.9
8 Morris Plains NJ 86.6
9 Bernardsville NJ 86.5
10 White Meadow Lake NJ 86.3
11 Mountain Lakes NJ 86.2
12 Whippany NJ 86.1
13 White House Station NJ 85.9
14 Peapack and Gladstone NJ 85.8
15 Lebanon NJ 85.8
16 Chester NJ 85.7
17 Parsippany NJ 85.7
18 Lake Hopatcong NJ 85.5
19 Clinton NJ 85.4
20 Troy Hills NJ 85.2
21 The Hills NJ 85.1
22 Beattystown NJ 85.1
23 Brookside NJ 85
24 Califon NJ 85
25 Somerville NJ 84.9
26 Bridgewater Center NJ 84.6
27 Annandale NJ 84.3
28 Mount Arlington NJ 84.3
29 Succasunna NJ 84.3
30 Flanders NJ 84
31 Hillsborough NJ 84
32 Byram Center NJ 84
33 High Bridge NJ 83.9
34 Basking Ridge NJ 83.9
35 Somerset NJ 83.8
36 Bradley Gardens NJ 83.7
37 Boonton NJ 83.7
38 Westwood NJ 83.7
39 Neshanic Station NJ 83.7
40 Packanack Lake NJ 83.6
41 Rockaway NJ 83.6
42 Fair Lawn NJ 83.6
43 Hawthorne NJ 83.5
44 Stanhope NJ 83.5
45 Glen Gardner NJ 83.5
46 Riverdale NJ 83.5
47 Middlebush NJ 83.4
48 Butler NJ 83.3
49 Franklin Center NJ 83.1
50 River Edge NJ 83.1

Rainbow Lakes, NJ tops the list with a composite score of 88.4 out of 100, followed by Mount Tabor and Lake Hiawatha. NJ dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →