2019 Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in New JerseyAbout this List

Upper Montclair

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 37 reviews

Current Resident: I have been living in Upper Montclair, New Jersey since I was born, which is eighteen years. My town is very family friendly with multiple parks where children can play and adults can walk or bike around. There are hundreds of restaurants and local grocery stores where people can buy their food or sit down with friends. Every single person, whether it is your neighbor or someone walking down the street, is very kind and sociable. We are an extremely diverse community with different ethnicities and filled with people from around the world. Upper Montclair is very eco-friendly as we reduce the amount of waste by reusing and recycling items and people contribute to the environment by planting trees and tending to their gardens. I always feel a sense of protection when walking down a street which is provided by our local police department. I genuinely enjoy living in Upper Montclair as I have made many friends in this beautiful town!
Read 37 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 11,696 Population

Short Hills

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 30 reviews

Current Resident: Postcard-perfect town with great location for commuting to NYC. Insane academic competition in high school. Downtown could use more nightlife. Lots of working families but also more than a few billionaires and multi-millionaires. Most residents seem to work in finance or law.
Read 30 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 13,092 Population

Monmouth Junction

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 6 reviews

Works Here: I grew up in--and attended public schools in--South Brunswick; and for the past 26 years I have also worked there. I have nothing but good things to say about the township, in general, and Monmouth Junction, in particular. The school system is nationally renowned, and the extra-curricular activities associated with it, stellar. It's increasingly expensive to live there; however, there are few better places to live in New Jersey--or anywhere else. I heartily recommend Monmouth Junction to anyone who can afford to live there.
Read 6 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 3,534 Population

Mountain Lakes

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 21 reviews

Current Resident: The excellent reputation of the schools, physical beauty of the town, and presence of lakes with swimming beaches is what attracted my family to Mountain Lakes. Once here, the best surprise of all is the sense of community that runs throughout the town. The variety of interests, clubs, and sports is wonderful: there's community in this town for everyone. Laker Pride! ("Lakers" are the historic Hapgood homes, but "Lakers" are also the residents of this wonderful town.
Read 21 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 4,309 Population

Haworth

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 4 reviews

Current Resident: Haworth is an absolutely gorgeous and underrated community. The Haworth Public School is excellent with small class sizes and committed teachers, administrators and parents. The town has a lot of character with a quaint downtown, beautiful and unique homes, duck pond, walking trail by the reservoir and two country clubs. Every street is tree-lined. The library is amazing with a separate wing for kids and dynamic programming. There’s a 5K race, Spring Garage Sale, streets are closed for Halloween (it’s quite a celebration), and many events and things to do throughout the year. It’s a five-minute or less drive to Closter Plaza where you can shop, grab a bite, work out, go to the movies, etc. A++!
Read 4 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 3,473 Population

Ridgewood

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 36 reviews

Works Here: Ridgewood is a great town for young adults to raise their children. Ridgewood is a very tight knit community where everyone helps out and knows one another. The center of town has a good amount of shops and top rated restaurants in the county which attracts a very positive ribe throughout the town. Ridgewood residents are great supporters of the local businesses. Also, young children used the center of town as a safe haven to meet up with friends. They utilize the shops, restaurants, and movie theater; everything is within walking distance! Ridgewood has a fantastic school system that challenges students and allows for high college acceptance rates. The faulty is outstanding and does not leave anyone behind. Ridgewood's school system also offers a wide variety of afterschool activities for the children, including camps at the town pool! Overall Ridgewood is an outstanding town and a wonderful community for families to grow.
Read 36 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 25,554 Population

Allendale

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 23 reviews

Current Resident: Allendale is a great community. It is very family orientated with a lot of town programs geared toward families. It is a green town with multiple parks, lots of open spaces, one of the only bird sanctuaries around and a beautiful lake where people can join to swim all summer.
Schools are fantastic with many supplemental programs to offer to the children. Most families are very involved.
Read 23 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 6,820 Population

Heathcote

• Suburb in New Jersey

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 6,355 Population

Westfield

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 58 reviews

Visitor: Westfield, New Jersey is a place like that of a television dream town. Crime is extremely low, so low that you can leave your door unlocked for many days and nights, without worrying about break-ins. I have visited my grandparents there every summer all my life, and they never lock their doors, ever! On early mornings strictly from 5:00 to 7:00 on weekends, the streets are so vacant that me and my brother sometimes wake up between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00, and we play football in the street; never worrying about cars driving by. Noise at night is rare, neighbors are very friendly, schools are very close by, and jobs pay great. The only thing I would like to see change is the cost of housing, other than that, Westfield is the place to stay.
Read 58 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 30,591 Population

Mendham Township

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 13 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Mendham Township for 15 years. I have raised my children and now my granddaughter is enjoying Mendham. The school system is extraordinary from full day Kindergarten to the highly ranked West Morris High School. My son said he was well prepared to face the academic demands of Engineering studies. Most of his friends also excelled in college. As for my husband and I we enjoy the outdoors every day, play paddle and tennis at Mendham Golf and Tennis, which is a relaxed informal sports club and have made good life long friends. So I can highly endorse the lifestyle offered by this area. I can also say we have the cleanest water from our well. And the air quality is without question clean.
Read 13 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 5,877 Population

Chatham

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 28 reviews

Current Resident: I love Chatham! I've lived here almost my whole life and it's such a great town to grow up in. It's safe, has amazing schools, a cute downtown, and it close to NYC. What more could you want? The taxes are pretty high, but that's for our schools. I wouldn't live in Chatham just to live here, but I think it's a great town to raise your kids.
Read 28 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 9,003 Population

Glen Ridge

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 18 reviews

Current Resident: I liked the close-knit community feeling, where I feel safe and can seek help from my neighbors. As a student who attends the public school, it is highly competitive which can be stressful, but pushes me to work hard.
Read 18 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 7,668 Population

Bernards Township

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 39 reviews

Current Resident: The public schools are great! Not much to do in the town, but its a great place to live. There are a few good restaurants in town, but the best are in the surrounding towns.
Read 39 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 27,032 Population

Dayton

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 29 reviews

Current Resident: I think that the education system in Dayton, NJ is definitely one of the best and is the main reason why my parents chose to settle down in Dayton. South Brunswick High School is a very intense public school, which makes it great for children because it truly prepares them for the reality of college. It is a relatively safe middle-upper middle class town, with a pretty low crime rate. Dayton is great for younger families, however it would not be fun for young adults without children. There are a lot of places to eat but there isn't much outside of that; there is no solid nightlife or fun spot for young adults. Being a current resident at 22 years of age, I find myself going to the neighboring towns/cities of New Brunswick or Princeton for a nice experiences.
Read 29 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 7,549 Population

Haddonfield

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 21 reviews

Former Resident: Historic Haddonfield is great for all ages. The downtown area is great for day trippers or locals who want to window shop, grab brunch at the Bistro, or take a walk past "Haddy" the Hadrosaurus dinosaur. Along with all of the historical homes & taverns & dinosaurs, Haddonfield holds a wonderful reputation in their school system as well as their athletics...ranked top in the state of New Jersey and nationwide!
Read 21 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 11,428 Population

New Providence

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 20 reviews

Current Resident: New Providence is a rare gem of a town - really hearkens back to the time when communities really knows (and want to know) and cares about each other. Newcomers feel welcome and most importantly safe. Though it is an affluent town, it does not have the air or reputation of cliches. The community is diverse and fosters a feeling of inclusiveness. You truly get the feeling of being home in this town, even if you did not grow up there. It's a small town that have a lot of character and amenities with the convenience of top rated schools, shopping, gym, restaurants and great community and recreational facilities. Great for commuters with two direct train stations to NYC and less than 20 mins drive to Morristown. The only major downside of New Providence is the in high property tax as Union County unfortunately shares the reputation with several other NJ counties with highest property taxes in the country.
Read 20 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 12,716 Population

Demarest

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 5 reviews

Current Resident: Demarest is a really quiet place with very friendly neighbors and community members. Though it is an extremely small town, it has a gazebo downtown where many concerts and events are hosted free for the public over the summer. The downtown area is small like the town with few stores, but it is never an issue as a few minute drive to the neighboring towns will get you all the stores you need. The schools are also above in education and have many achievements through the years.
Read 5 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 5,031 Population

Chatham Township

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 10 reviews

Current Resident: Chatham is a safe, beautiful, expensive town. People are friendly and prestigious, and the town struggles with diversity. It is very child oriented, most mothers are involved in the school district in some way. Teenagers have many job opportunities. The town center does not have a nightlife, but many nearby towns do (and Uber is everywhere here). The train is a 55 minute ride to NYC for $11. The town is generally conservative but has a large liberal presence too.
Read 10 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 10,507 Population

Ho-Ho-Kus

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 8 reviews

Current Resident: Ho-Ho-Kus is a nice small town perfect for kids to grow up. There is a great public school right in town that has K-8 grades. There are many small business here and lots of friendly business owners. There is also a beautiful water stream that goes across the town of Ho-Ho-Kus.
Read 8 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 4,162 Population

Tenafly

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 26 reviews

Current Resident: Quiet environment filled with greens. Excellent location surrounded by many diverse cultures, and easily accessible to highways to many cities including Manhattan. A very good education system raise my kid.
Read 26 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 14,882 Population

Summit

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 32 reviews

Current Resident: It is a charming and lovely little town that has an incredible school system. The people are always friendly and willing to give a helping hand. In our downtown, we have many restaurants and a couple of fine dining establishments. Along with that, we have a train station and its only 45 minutes from Penn station, great for working in the cities. Our parks are wonderfully clean and safe, the houses are beautiful that surround the parks. We have a YMCA that is in the downtown area it has many classes going on and amazing gym amenities. We have a beautiful public pool with two big slides, one diving board, a kidding pool, a snack bar, a playground, a basketball court, and a huge pool. When you visit or live in Summit NJ you will never find yourself bored and or with nothing to do.
Read 32 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 22,155 Population

Fanwood

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 9 reviews

Current Resident: We love our little “best” small town in NJ. Amazing Neigbor’s, friendly town feel. Excellent place to raise kids and raise your family. Safe, quant, refreshing suburb indeed. You’ll feel right at home.
Read 9 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 7,648 Population

Glen Rock

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 34 reviews

Current Resident: Glen Rock is a very safe and sheltered area. Though more diversity has been introduced in recent years, it is mostly caucasian. Education system is really important to everybody, and the school sports culture is also really heavily celebrated. The neighbors are always nice and supportive, and I love living here.
Read 34 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 11,962 Population

Livingston Township

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 85 reviews

Niche User: My grandparents moved to Livingston when they first had my mother. She had always loved the atmosphere of this unified town. After college, she decided to move back and raise me and my sister here. I was born and raised in Livingston and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is always something to do; whether it be walking into the Town Center with friends, going to the mall, or attending the various events held in town. Although I moved away to attend college, I will always find Livingston to be my home. I am proud of where I grew up and plan to move back to raise my children there as well!
Read 85 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 29,955 Population

Closter

• Suburb in New Jersey
• 27 reviews

Current Resident: I moved to Closter when I was 7 years old and lived in an original Dutch Sandstone Colonial Home built in the late 1700s. It sits on the corner of a quiet cul de sac of contemporary homes on the East Hill. The most attractive qualities of the town include its convenient location for NYC commuters, under 20 minutes to both the GWB and TPZ Bridge. The town offers scenic suburban lifestyle, with a revitalized downtown area that includes Whole Foods, Home Goods, Orange Theory, Cycle Bar, Target, Movie Theater, salons, Doctor's offices, Parks, a great library and Blue Ribbon Schools. (Hillside Elementary School and Tenakill Middle School).
Read 27 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 8,710 Population