Ridgewood Makes America's 100 Best Places To Live List

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Ridgewood has received a nod as one of the nation's golden places to live in a just-released ranking.

The sparse suburban village cracked the top 100 "best places to live in America" list, ranked an impressive fourth in New Jersey and second in Bergen County, according to popular review website Niche.

Ridgewood, which received an overall grade of A+, was 69th on Niche's nationwide list, where the village was joined by two other Bergen County municipalities — Ho-Ho-Kus at 47th and River Edge at 74th. Princeton Junction and Princeton led the statewide ranking.

Scoring highest (A+) for public schools, family-friendliness and health and fitness, Ridgewood's lowest score was in cost of living (C+).

In fact, the median home value of $789,000 is more than triple the national average, while median rent of $2,200 is nearly double the national average.

The next-lowest score (B) was in crime and safety, and in diversity.

Still, even with a B, violent and property crime rates in the village are well below the national average. Theft appears to present the greatest threat, though the rate is still not even one-fourth the national average.

Diversity scores are based on ethnic and socio-economic factors. More than 70% of Ridgewood residents are white, and 1% are Black or African American. More than three-fourths of the population have either a Bachelor's degree or higher — more than double the national average. Median household income is more than double the national average, with 64% of households making at least $150,000 a year.

At a population of about 26,000, the village was highlighted by Niche for its many restaurants, coffee shops and parks, and was rated very good or excellent by most reviewers.

"Incredible town with incredible amenities," a resident said of his overall experience.

"Great town to raise a family," another resident said. "A very strong sense of community with a lot of resources for residents."