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Rent or buy: Which option is best for your city?
If you’re trying to determine if renting or buying is better for you, the best option for your wallet might depend on where you live.
What’s not to love about New Jersey? While many might have a great time living in the Garden State, nearly every city in New Jersey was excluded from U.S. News and World Report’s ‘Best Places to Live’ list.
For the publication’s best places in live in the United States list for 2025-2026, they ranked major cities based on a number of categories including quality of life, value, desirability and the job market in the area.
No New Jersey cities ranked in the Top 100 of U.S. News and World Report’s list. Trenton was the only New Jersey City that made it on the ranking listed at 145 out of 150 cities.
Our neighbors, New York City and Philadelphia, made it on the list, but were not too far ahead. New York City came in at number 124 and Philadelphia at 135.
According to the list here are the Top 10 best cities to live:
- Naples, Florida
- Boise, Idaho
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Austin, Texas
- Boulder Colorado
New Jersey was left off the Top 100, but not many cities in the northeast made the list. Buffalo and Pittsburgh, while still a far drive from the Garden State, were two northeastern cities that made it to the Top 40 on the list.
U.S. News and World Report’s methodology consisted of four categories. The quality of life index was based off crime rates, quality of education, well-being, commuter and air quality index and the FEMA national risk. Quality of life carried the highest weight at 32%.
The value index was based on affordable housing and the desirability index was based off surveys to residents, weather and establishment to population ratio. The job market, unemployment rates and median household incomes are also taken into consideration.
New Jersey still has plenty of towns and places that have much to offer and are considered some of the best places to live in the state.
Don’t let these lists shy you away from the Garden State. At least we do not pump our own gas!