the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ho-Ho-Kus NJ, New Jersey continues to shine as one of the best places to live in the U.S., with five towns making the 2025 Best Places to Live in America ranking, 3 in Bergen County released by Niche on Monday.
Now in its 11th year, the ranking helps people—from young professionals to families and retirees—find the best places to call home. The analysis considers communities of all sizes, evaluating public schools, housing, diversity, walkability, and more.
Top 5 New Jersey Towns in the 2025 Rankings
Here are the New Jersey communities that secured a spot in Niche’s Top 100 Best Places to Live:
34. Ho-Ho-Kus (Bergen County) – Grade: A+
🏡 Small-town charm with suburban convenience
🎓 Top-rated public schools
🚆 Close proximity to NYC
🌳 Rural feel with plenty of green space
35. Princeton (Mercer County) – Grade: A+
☕ Bustling with restaurants, coffee shops, and parks
🏫 Highly rated public schools
👨👩👧👦 Great for families and young professionals
🎭 Rich cultural and academic scene (Home to Princeton University)
65. Ridgewood (Bergen County) – Grade: A+
🌿 Lots of parks and green spaces
🛍 Thriving local business scene
🏫 Excellent public schools
🏠 Ideal for families
71. River Edge (Bergen County) – Grade: A+
🏘 “Small-town” vibe with suburban benefits
🍽 Great local restaurants
🛡 High marks for safety
🎓 Strong public school system
79. Princeton Junction (Mercer County) – Grade: A+
🚆 Convenient public transportation options
🏢 Plentiful job opportunities
🎓 Outstanding schools
🌳 Abundant parks and recreation
How the Rankings Were Determined
Niche’s 2025 Best Places to Live rankings are based on thousands of communities across the U.S., using data from:
📊 U.S. Census Bureau
📈 Bureau of Labor Statistics
🩺 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
💬 Millions of resident reviews
Key factors considered include:
🏡 Housing market health
🌎 Neighborhood diversity
🏫 Quality of public schools
🚶♂️ Walkability and commute
For a full breakdown of the methodology, visit Niche.com.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re raising a family, starting a career, or looking for a safe and vibrant community, these five New Jersey towns offer some of the best living experiences in America.
Do you live in one of these top-rated NJ towns? Let us know in the comments!
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What happened to Paramus? Doesn’t anyone want to “happily”live in a town with three major congested highways running through it, an over abundance of mega-buildings and an impressive crime rate? What’s wrong with people?😆
River Edge….really ?
Hohokus is a great town,
👍Hohokus blows away Ridgewood anytime, to the person with thumbs down on a walk as you must be a real dirt bitch. Where do you live Fairlawn?
99% of hohokus is along a highway & you have to beg to use somebody else’s high school. If you’re interested in Ridgewood very light, Midland Park is better.
I live somewhere where my index finger is the same color as my middle finger.
no farms. over-populated. too much traffic, construction, noise pollution, expensive, woke schools. Everyone im close to either has moved from bergen county since covid or has died. What really is so great about this area idk but there are much more peaceful beautiful places to live in this state and in this country. Im tired of working all these jobs bouncing around to get where what a socialized wage. No opportunity where I am at, however I’ve established some great connections with customers and suppliers. But thinking about being a garbage man or working outside again. That used to make me happy around here. Now Im just sitting around on the computer all day missing out on so much making 30.63/hr 35 hours a week for a corportation who doesnt really value me. Im thinking bout finding a new job. Im fkin tired of customer service. Just tryin to save up and get out. Living out in the country is where I prefer to be. With nature away from all this crap that dont matter. Just a peaceful little peice of land in the corner of nowhere.
I’ll take my investment in Ridgewood ANY day over some hick town. When I want something i have choices, from shopping, dining, to excellent hospitals and medical care. Property taxes in all of NJ are the highest in the nation, and fortunately we have lots of McMansions that pay huge taxes here in 07450 so the rest of us with modest homes don’t get the massive increases due to the municipal salaries and benefits that never go down (check property taxes in waldwick) And most importantly its a lot more of a liquid investment than a farm since there is always some newbie family from NYC or Hoboken ready to buy.
If you don’t do it now, do it soon. Make a plan, even an imperfect one. Sincerely.
Midlandpark, what kind of drugs are you on? Go spin your windmill