Best Cities for Young Professionals in New Jersey

High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

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.

Income · 20% Educated Peers · 15% Young Demographic · 15% Jobs · 15% Transit · 10% Safety · 10% Broadband · 15%

Top 12 Young Professionals Cities in New Jersey

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 85.8
Glen Ridge, NJ
7,827 residents
Income $248,016
Educated Peers 83.4%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#2
Score 84.6
Hoboken, NJ
58,340 residents
Income $176,943
Educated Peers 83.1%
Young Demographic 32 yrs
#3
Score 84.5
Chatham, NJ
9,219 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 84.7%
Young Demographic 37 yrs
#4
Score 83.1
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
4,230 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 81.0%
Young Demographic 43 yrs
#5
Score 83
Fair Haven, NJ
6,182 residents
Income $237,132
Educated Peers 81.0%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#6
Score 82.5
Mountain Lakes, NJ
4,535 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 84.4%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#7
Score 82.1
Rumson, NJ
7,265 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 77.7%
Young Demographic 43 yrs
#8
Score 80.8
Essex Fells, NJ
2,320 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 81.5%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#9
Score 79.9
Ridgewood, NJ
26,076 residents
Income $217,250
Educated Peers 80.6%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#10
Score 79
Westfield, NJ
30,760 residents
Income $212,700
Educated Peers 76.7%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#11
Score 78.7
Princeton, NJ
30,451 residents
Income $184,113
Educated Peers 84.6%
Young Demographic 28 yrs
#12
Score 78.6
Little Silver, NJ
6,096 residents
Income $220,746
Educated Peers 79.8%
Young Demographic 47 yrs

Full Ranking, New Jersey

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

1 Glen Ridge NJ 85.8
2 Hoboken NJ 84.6
3 Chatham NJ 84.5
4 Ho-Ho-Kus NJ 83.1
5 Fair Haven NJ 83
6 Mountain Lakes NJ 82.5
7 Rumson NJ 82.1
8 Essex Fells NJ 80.8
9 Ridgewood NJ 79.9
10 Westfield NJ 79
11 Princeton NJ 78.7
12 Little Silver NJ 78.6
13 Glen Rock NJ 78.4
14 Franklin Lakes NJ 78.4
15 Upper Saddle River NJ 78.4
16 Summit NJ 78
17 Tenafly NJ 77.3
18 Oradell NJ 77.3
19 Bernardsville NJ 77.1
20 Haworth NJ 76.8
21 Haddonfield NJ 76.7
22 Mendham NJ 76.5
23 Alpine NJ 76.1
24 Mountainside NJ 76
25 Edgewater NJ 75.5
26 Old Tappan NJ 75.4
27 Fanwood NJ 75.1
28 Englewood Cliffs NJ 75
29 Closter NJ 73.9
30 North Caldwell NJ 73.7
31 Woodcliff Lake NJ 73.4
32 Metuchen NJ 73.3
33 Allendale NJ 73
34 Ramsey NJ 72.7
35 Demarest NJ 72.2
36 River Edge NJ 72.1
37 Sea Girt NJ 71.9
38 Madison NJ 71.8
39 New Providence NJ 71.8
40 Harrington Park NJ 71.7
41 Hillsdale NJ 71.6
42 Peapack and Gladstone NJ 71.2
43 Montvale NJ 71.1
44 Fair Lawn NJ 70.8
45 Pennington NJ 70.5
46 Saddle River NJ 70.4
47 Waldwick NJ 70.3
48 Rutherford NJ 69.9
49 Westwood NJ 69.9
50 Florham Park NJ 69.6

Glen Ridge, NJ tops the list with a composite score of 85.8 out of 100, followed by Hoboken and Chatham. NJ dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for young professionals.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Income, Educated Peers, Young Demographic, Jobs, Transit, Safety, Broadband. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to young professionals, 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 Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Highest Income → Most Educated → Youngest Cities →