In 2010, the Monmouth University Polling Institute created the Garden State Quality of Life Index — a resident-based poll, factoring in people’s overall opinion of the state and other quality-of-life indicators including performance of local schools, quality of local environment and feelings of safety.  

According to the latest Monmouth University Poll, 63% of New Jerseyans continue to give the state positive ratings as a place to live. Some 45% said the state was a good place to live, while 18% said it was excellent. This year’s positive rating is just below the rating in 2022 (64%) and above 2021’s rating of 59%. 

Notable in this year’s poll is the significant drop among urban residents of their views of the quality of life. According to the Institute, “Compared to a year ago, the index score for urban residents has dropped by 15 points (from +15 in April 2022 to 0 in January 2023), but has only declined by 2 points among those who live in stable growth towns (from +31 to +29) and has actually increased by 2 points among those in New Jersey’s growing suburbs (from +31 to +33). While a disparity between these community types has been evident throughout the history of the Garden State Quality of Life Index, the gap in the current poll is among the largest seen since the first reading in 2010. Similar gaps between index scores for urban areas and other communities were found in 2011, 2013, and 2015.”