These 31 Towns In New Jersey Just Landed On An Awesome List

Awesome news – SafeWise just released their 2016 list of the Top 100 Safest Towns in America. The home security company bases this list on the most recent national crime and safety statistics available. Data is gathered using the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports which take into account both violent and property crime. To provide the most accurate picture possible, all towns on their list have populations in excess of 10,000; smaller towns can skew data.

So, why is this list so exciting for us? New Jersey towns scored a whopping 31 spots on the list. 31! No other state came close; Massachusetts was in a distant second with 16 towns on the list. This means major bragging rights for New Jerseyans. We take a lot of…crud…from the other 49, but we keep coming out on top. Saveur Magazine JUST named us the best state for foodies, Princeton was named the best small city in America, Coastal Magazine declared Ocean City (New Jersey) the best beach in America and Asbury Park was chosen as one of the world’s top travel destinations.

SafeWise’s safe towns list is just the icing on the already sweet cake that is our gorgeous Garden State. Wondering which towns made the cut?

Flickr/Steven Reynolds

This scenic town sits in the shadow of Schooley's Mountain, where this shot was snapped. The violent crime rate here is .37/1000. The national average, based on 2013 FBI data, is 23.2/1000.

Wikipedia/Dmarino907

Sparta is a stunning town situated on the banks of Lake Mohawk, pictured. The violent crime rate is just .46/1000.

Flickr/Beatrice Murch

Not everyone knows that there is actually a massive boulder in the middle of Glen Rock, but there is! The boulder is quite impressive, but not as impressive as a violent crime rate of just .25/1000. It could have scored even higher on the list, but the property crime rate (which was still very low) brought it down a bit.

Wikipedia/Smallbones

This town has more than doubled in size over the past decade, but both the violent and property crime rates remain extremely low. Way to go Woolwich!

Wikipedia/Magic Piano

Florence was a popular 19th century tourist destination, when people still summered on the Delaware River. Though tourism declined, you'll still find a strong sense of community and an abundance of safety.

Wikipedia/SoccerA2G

Another lovely lakeside town on the list, Verona is known for its public safety programs and beautiful town park. The violent crime rate is .29/1000.

Flickr/Paul

This charming town on the Raritan River offers a vibrant arts scene, the incredible Red Mill Museum, and one of the lowest violent crime rates in a town over 10,000 in the United States, .08/1000.

Here’s the full list:

Washington Township (Morris County) – #4

Chatham Township – #22

Hillsdale – #24

Westwood – #28

Sparta Township – #34

Bergenfield – #38

Branchburg Township – #39

Clinton Township – #41

Ridgefield – #42

Woolwich Township -#45

New Milford – #46

Warren Township – #47

Mahwah Township – #51

Verona – #55

Dumont – #56

Florence Township – #57

West Caldwell Township – #59

Monroe Township – #61

Wyckoff Township – #64

Hasbrouck Heights – #66

Montgomery Township – #67

Ringwood – #69

Bernards Township – #78

Plainsboro Township – #79

Hillsborough Township – #81

Hopewell Township – #84

Kinnelon – #89

Glen Rock – #90

Cedar Grove Township – #94

Palisades Park – #97

River Edge – #100

One or two towns on the list surprised me, but I’m proud nonetheless. You’ll notice that most of these towns are in North Jersey, but that’s not to say Central and South Jersey don’t have safe, amazing towns. Spectacular, safe neighborhoods south of 78 include: East Greenwich in Gloucester County, Pennington in Mercer County, Manalapan in Monmouth County, and Longport in Atlantic County. They also snagged top marks in safety based on FBI crime data, but couldn’t land on SafeWise’s list as their populations are all under 10,000. Did any of the towns on this list surprise you? Was there any town you were surprised NOT to see on this list?