A recent study by CreditDonkey named the 10 happiest cities in the state and Hammonton, Millville and Vineland made the top 10. The study found Summit was the happiest city and Hammonton was the second happiest.
The study used seven different criteria to determine the happiest cities. At the top of the list is the number of restaurants per capita. Also analyzed were crime rates, commute time, departure time, income, divorce rate, and percentage of income spent on housing.
CreditDonkey collected U.S. Census data and FBI crime statistics for all of New Jersey’s cities with a population of 10,000 or higher. To get the top 10, the study assigned each of them a ranking based on how they rated across each of the seven categories. The Top 10 looks like this after Summit and Hammonton: Westfield, Secaucus, Hoboken, Woodbury, Kearny, Gloucester City, Vineland, and Millville.
Here’s a further explanation of the methods:
Heading out for dinner or drinks with friends is always a mood booster, and Jersey has some great spots to get together. The analysis considered the number of restaurants per capita in each city so you’ll know which ones offer the most variety.
If the crime rate in your home city makes you feel uneasy, it can give you a less than positive outlook. The study checked out how safe the cities in our study are by looking at the odds of being the victim of a violent crime.
Northern New Jersey attracts a lot of professionals who work in nearby New York City, but the roads in south Jersey are also busy. To see where traffic tends to be the lightest, the analysis looked at each city’s average commute time.
An early wake-up call can contribute to a more positive attitude if researchers are to be believed. The study considered the percentage of residents in each city who leave for work before 5 a.m. to see where more people prefer to get a head start on the day.
New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the country, but workers make more in some cities compared to others. The rankings are based in part on the median household income residents earn.
Exchanging vows with the person you love is a joyous moment—assuming you stay together. To find out which New Jersey cities have longer lasting unions, the study looked for the lowest percentages of divorced men and women.
If you’re forking over a lot of money on mortgage or rent payments, the strain on your wallet can take a serious financial and emotional toll. The last thing considered was the percentage of income residents spend on housing.
Here is the full data for our local towns.
HAMMONTON:
- Restaurants per capita: 1 per 410 inhabitants
- Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 990.1
- Average commute time: 25.3 minutes
- Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.4 percent
- Median household income: $59,011
- Percentage of residents who are divorced: 4.2 percent of males, 10.3 percent of females
- Percentage of income spent on housing: 25.2 percent
Hammonton is a little slice of heaven for the nearly 15,000 people who call it home. As far as violent crime goes, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about your safety and the local neighborhoods feature plenty of reasonably priced housing. It takes workers about 25 minutes on average to reach their destination and the size of their paycheck doesn’t leave them with empty pockets.
VINELAND
- Restaurants per capita: 1 per 539 inhabitants
- Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 272.2
- Average commute time: 22.7 minutes
- Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.7 percent
- Median household income: $52,708
- Percentage of residents who are divorced: 9.9 percent of males, 10.3 percent of females
- Percentage of income spent on housing: 25.5 percent
CreditDonkey heard it through the grapevine that people in Vineland tend to think their hometown is pretty great. With about 61,000 residents, it’s the biggest city in our study in terms of population as well as the state’s largest based on area. You won’t be coming up short on payday, with a median income of almost $53,000 and the trek to work takes under 23 minutes on average.
MILLVILLE
- Restaurants per capita: 1 per 520 inhabitants
- Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 115.5
- Average commute time: 21.2 minutes
- Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4.2 percent
- Median household income: $49,379
- Percentage of residents who are divorced: 11.1 percent of males, 10.8 percent of females
- Percentage of income spent on housing: 25.1 percent
Millville seems to be a standout among professionals, coming in at number nine with the highest percentage of residents leaving before 5 a.m. as well as the shortest average commute time. The median income is slightly lower compared to some of the other cities in our study but it’s still nothing to sneeze at. There are lots of appetizing places to dig into a good meal; Winfield’s is a stand out if you’re dining in the Glasstown Arts District.
SOURCE: CreditDonkey
