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Everyone - We are moving to NJ in 2021 summer. I posted few days back about tips for looking for homes etc. and some folks were surprised that we are moving to NJ. That left me thinking, as I have always wanted to move to east coast. We lived in Arizona for 10 years but were never content and knew we will eventually move out as Arizona did not have as many opportunities in IT as NJ/NY has. NJ is also a blue state which matters to us.
What are some of the pros and cons of living in NJ? We are a family of 4, 2 kids 9 and 5 years old.
I would like to know from folks who have moved to NJ or are living in NJ for a long time. Thanks.
What are some of the pros and cons of living in NJ? We are a family of 4, 2 kids 9 and 5 years old.
First time I have ever heard someone saying they want to move to a blue state.
To be honest, nobody wants to move to NJ and people settle here for work related/ family reasons, born here or need to stay in the tri-state and are fleeing the tyranny of Cuomo/deblasio. Were losing population to the south and Florida.
NJ is not business friendly, and increasingly becoming one of the most difficult state to make a living in. We now have the highest state income rate at 10.2% and possibly the highest property taxes in the country. Murphy is purposely ruining the financials of the state, in hopes of a federal bailout which possibly might not happen, so expect a massive of additional taxes on the loans he wants to take out. There isnt much to show for our taxes besides massive political corruption.
Benefits of living here? Best state school testing rate, shore in the summer and Wawa.
Last edited by DannyHobkins; 12-11-2020 at 12:51 PM..
I would have said schools, but they suck right now due to Covid. I'm hoping that gets better, but I'm not feeling too optimistic. Most districts(all districts?) seem to be ignoring the fact that schools are not a spreader, so we're probably stuck with this weird remote/in-person, semi-functional education for a long time.
I like the climate here better than back home. I grew up in Utah; Provo, then my parents moved to a tiny town mid-state called Fountain Green. If you don't like humid, cold winters and humid sticky summers, NJ could be a problem. For whatever reason, I like it. Plus, it's green here, but not permanently damp/moldy/mossy like Seattle (where I've also lived). Not a fan of the cold, but put up with it. Geographically, too, I like the East Coast. I like the hills (sorry fellow NJ residents, there are no mountains here, regardless of their naming), I like the beaches, the Pinelands are very cool, and the marshy areas are home to some awesome animals. I'm an outside person, and from the day I landed here the nature sang to me. (Of course, that holds true for NY and PA as well.)
Many, many people here are snarky and brash, but I like that, too. Maybe it's specifically Utah, but I grew up around too many two-faced people, or people who won't tell you the truth because it isn't pretty. People here will tell you how it is, whether you want to hear it, or not, lol. But they can be helpful, and they make good friends, and they're pretty family-oriented, at least in my neighborhood.
Taxes are too high. We'll be moving away as soon as our youngest finishes school. If we can even make it that long. We're both out of work, and Murphy's Covid "plan" is making future work look like it could be another year away. If ever. It's not a business-friendly place.
Who knows how well all of this will hold up post COVID, but I’ll give you my take on NJ pre-pandemic.
Pros:
Very diverse. I like having exposure to different cultures, and of course, all of the great food. The food options in NJ are fantastic. And I’m not just talking about restaurants. Even our supermarket options blow away other states.
Nature. You have the Jersey Shore (which also has a bunch of activities even if you aren’t the naturey type), Delware Water Gap, Pine Barrens, rolling hills, flat marshes and swampland, farms and vineyards, etc. Some other states can also lay claim to having beaches, mountains, vast forests, dense urban areas, suburbs and small towns, etc. but NJ does it all with the smallest amount of land and therefore is the most accessible. The only thing we don’t have is a desert, but really, who cares?
Best public K-12 schools in the country, as far as statewide aggregates go.
Easy access to cultural offerings outside of the state. We are the center of the Northeast Megapolis. NYC and Philly, depending where you are at in NJ, are either commuting distance or accessible for a day trip. You can make an easy weekend at Boston, Baltimore, and DC as well. Poconos and Catskills are also accessible.
Lots of cool towns throughout the state. Big and small, not just cities like Hoboken and Jersey City but also charming suburbs like Ridgewood, Cranford, Millburn, Princeton, Summit, Montclair, Somerville, Haddonfield, Bordentown, Freehold, and Morristown, and even some great more rural-ish small towns like Clinton and Lambertville, and again, pretty much the entire Jersey Shore.
People here are well educated, less likely to be ignorant cavepeople or constantly insufferable misanthropes (although of course we still have them, as you can see by this forum!), and I find us to be a generally funny bunch as well. We have a great sense of humor!
Convenient to all kinds of shopping. Towns mentioned above can serve your small business needs, but all of the big box stores you could ever need are around our highways everywhere you look. Nothing is ever too far away here.
Lots of high-paying jobs available to those with the right skills. Our white collar workforce is very strong.
Cons:
High cost of living. Real estate is super expensive, and generally everything else is more expensive than the nationwide average as well. But you should also expect a higher salary on the other end of that.
Property taxes in particular are atrocious. Other states pay a fraction of what NJ pays. It’s the number one complaint, and rightfully so.
Traffic. We are the most densely populated state...you should expect it to be bad. But even so, it still eats away at your soul. Couple that with the frequent toll roads to make it worse.
Certain things fall under nanny state over-regulation that just seems backwards. For example, limiting a town’s liquor licenses to 1 per 3,000 residents. Or not being able to pump your own gas.
Blue laws if you live in Bergen County.
The oddly large number of dry towns if you live in South Jersey.
Winters can be very cold and bitter (although the last few were not so bad). Summer and fall seem to be getting more frequent heavy and nasty storms that do a lot of damage.
It's a very green state. New Jersey isn't going to run out of water any time soon. About 25% of the land is protected in some way. That's amazing considering that it's the most densely populated state.
Fact. No rivers flow into the state so they don't have to accept anyone else's mistake. The highest temperature ever recorded was 110 in 1936.
Being one of the thirteen original colonies, no one could possibly run out of interesting places to visit. George slept here too? Next year or whenever there will be more things to do than you will ever find time to take advantage of.
The terrain is quite varied. There are small mountains, forests, farms, swamps, bays, and ocean beaches.
Crazy politics and taxes aside, New Jersey and Maryland are my two favorite states.
It's a very green state. New Jersey isn't going to run out of water any time soon. About 25% of the land is protected in some way. That's amazing considering that it's the most densely populated state.
Fact. No rivers flow into the state so they don't have to accept anyone else's mistake. The highest temperature ever recorded was 110 in 1936.
Being one of the thirteen original colonies, no one could possibly run out of interesting places to visit. George slept here too? Next year or whenever there will be more things to do than you will ever find time to take advantage of.
The terrain is quite varied. There are small mountains, forests, farms, swamps, bays, and ocean beaches.
Crazy politics and taxes aside, New Jersey and Maryland are my two favorite states.
Why is maryland more expensive than NJ and with stricter guns?
Everyone - We are moving to NJ in 2021 summer. I posted few days back about tips for looking for homes etc. and some folks were surprised that we are moving to NJ. That left me thinking, as I have always wanted to move to east coast. We lived in Arizona for 10 years but were never content and knew we will eventually move out as Arizona did not have as many opportunities in IT as NJ/NY has. NJ is also a blue state which matters to us.
What are some of the pros and cons of living in NJ? We are a family of 4, 2 kids 9 and 5 years old.
I would like to know from folks who have moved to NJ or are living in NJ for a long time. Thanks.
NY/NJ is a huge job market, and the region has the biggest scale mass transit infrastructure in the country. That may matter less post-COVID, but we'll see how it plays out. That said, the cost of living is high and median pay is higher. If you don't earn enough or can't get enough of a pay bump to cover the higher cost of living, this region is going to be uncomfortable.
The schools are great. You may like the range of seasons. You have access to a lot of nature, history, culture, and food. Not many HOAs to contend with.
The state has more long term debt and liability obligations than it can reasonably meet. It's not the only state in that condition and the reasons are complex - but ultimately, without federal intervention, it could impact (and probably already does impact) state services. Also, NJ has the highest population density of any state by a large margin, which can make traffic interesting.
We lived in NJ for over 50 years, several counties from Bergen County down to Monmouth County. Liked Monmouth County for assessability to beaches, schools were great for our children.
Real estate taxes are too high, governor Murphy as many have said is ruining the state.
If you are drawn to beaches, come to the west coast of Florida...gorgeous beaches and some gorgeous communities!
After living on the west coast of Florida, beaches don't compare to NJ beaches..Florida beaches are much nicer and we have been to many beaches in NJ.
Do your research and RENT before you purchase a home. Live in the area for a year before you decide to purchase. That is what we did in Florida and we are happy that we did!
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First time I have ever heard someone saying they want to move to a blue state.
