Anyone who has lived in New Jersey knows it is one of the most unique states in America. Sandwiched in between two of the biggest cities in the United States, The Garden State has everything from rural farmland to modern Suburban areas along with densely populated cities and picturesque Coastal communities.
The state of New Jersey was the third of the original 13 Colonies to enter the Union of the United States and one of the oldest states in American history. First Delaware then Pennsylvania joined the United States followed by New Jersey in December of 1787. The next 10 states joined the union over the following 29 months.
Now almost 240 years later, we want to know how The Garden State compares to the rest of America.
How Does New Jersey Compare To The Rest of America?
The website US and World Report has surveyed tens of thousands of United States Adults who are 18 years old and up over five years. They combined their survey results with Government and Public Information Data to determine who are the best states in America.
The results of all these surveys and data collection are US and World Reports published their overall rankings of the Best States in America based on eight categories:
-Crime & Corrections
-Economy
-Education
-State Government Fiscal Stability
-Health Care
-Infrastructure
-Natural Environment
-Professional Opportunity
Overall, New Jersey is rated the 14th Best State in America, up five spots from the previous US and World Report Rankings. New Jersey is ranked in the top five of three categories:
-New Jersey is rated the fourth-best state for Education in the United States. With high graduation rates for both High Schools and Colleges, New Jersey has high metrics for grades kindergarten through High School. Also, 50.2 percent of the state population is college-educated.
-New Jersey is rated the fourth-best state for Health Care in America. Receiving high scores for Health Care Quality and Access, New Jersey has a low percentage of residents who are dealing with serious health issues.
-New Jersey is rated the fifth-best state for Crime and Corrections in the United States. Low Rates of Property Crimes and Violent Crimes combined with low rates of disproportionate incarceration, New Jersey is rated one of the best states for Public Safety.
The categories that are keeping New Jersey out of the top ten overall rankings are Opportunity (43rd) and Fiscal Stability (48th). The Garden State received low scores for Economic Opportunities and Cost of Living. New Jersey is also ranked as one of the worst states in America for short and long-term state fiscal stability.
Even though New Jersey is ranked in the bottom ten states for Opportunities, many Professional Industries are growing in The Garden State. Here are the top 50 fasting growing job industries in New Jersey:
LOOK: Fastest-growing jobs in New Jersey
Stacker analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine which jobs in New Jersey grew the fastest between 2022 and 2023.
Gallery Credit: Stacker
