Whether you’ve called South Jersey home for decades or are new to the area, there’s no denying the allure and charm of life in the region. The proximity to major cities and the Shore make this an ideal spot to plant roots, but the area truly offers everything you could want from top-notch schools, tremendous health care providers, an ever-evolving food scene and much more. It’s no wonder why so many of us love the quality of life here.
Our annual Top Towns spotlight celebrates our local communities and recognizes them for collectively impacting the quality of life in this wonderful place we call home. Our rankings were formulated using data from the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Department of Education and the state’s Division of Local Government Services. Using a weighted formula, we combined average property values and taxes, crime incidents reported per 1,000 residents and high school performance numbers consisting of average SAT scores, graduation rates and more.
This year, Moorestown edged out the others to find itself at the top of the list, and for good reason. High property values, stellar schools and a close-knit community where civic pride runs deep are just a few of the reasons why it’s so highly regarded.
That’s no to say the rest of the bunch are any less impressive. As our area continues to grow, our communities are transforming to meet modern demands and innovative thinking has the area well-prepared for a bright future. There’s something to love about each and every one of these towns and we celebrate them all for how they contribute to making South Jersey the perfect place to live, work and play.
Top 25 Towns
1. Moorestown 2. Haddonfield 3. Harrison Township 4. Woolwich 5. Voorhees 6. Medford 7. Evesham 8. Bordentown Township 9. Mount Laurel |
10. Mantua 11. Cherry Hill 12. Washington Township 13. Delran 14. Lumberton 15. Haddon Township 16. Burlington Township 17. Southampton 18. Cinnaminson |
19. Florence 20. Monroe 21. West Deptford 22. Franklin Township 23. Mount Holly 24. Waterford 25. Collingswood
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By County
Top 10 Burlington County Towns | Top 10 Camden County Towns | Top 10 Gloucester County Towns |
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Did You Know?
In the mid-to-late 1600s, Welsh and English Quakers crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania in search of farmland and religious freedom. They would settle in the area that would later become Evesham Township.
A wealthy businessman from London named John Haddon purchased land in “West Jersey” in 1668. In 1701, he sent his daughter Elizabeth to the area to occupy the land he purchased and she named the area Haddonfield in his honor.
On Feb. 4, 1847, Medford Township was officially established after previously being known as Upper Evesham. The township held its first meeting a little over a month later.
On July 12, 1928, Mexican aviator Captain Emilio Carranza Rodriguez crashed into the Pine Barrens. There is a memorial located in Wharton State Forest at the scene of the crash.
In Harrison Township, Mullica Hill’s Main Street is replete with many pre-Revolution and Victorian era homes built between 1700 and the early 1900s.
The village of Moorestown was established in 1682, but it wasn’t until March 11, 1922 that it was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey State Legislature.
After previously being known as Delaware Township, Cherry Hill was named after a farm which formerly occupied the site where the Cherry Hill Inn was built. That site is now where the movie theater is located on Route 38.
Mount Laurel’s first post office was established in 1849 inside a general store which also housed the area’s first lending library.
Voorhees is named after Foster McGowan Voorhees, a former governor of the state who granted the petition for the area to become its own township in March of 1899.
Cinnaminson takes its name from the Lenni-Lenape Tribe who first inhabited the area and named their hunting grounds Cinnaminson, which translates to Sweewater.
The name Delran is actually a combination of the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek, both of which are significant to the township’s location.
Tabernacle was originally referred to as Tabernacle in the Wilderness because of its log church established by a missionary named John Brainerd. Both Indians and settlers gathered at the church,
Bells Lake in Washington Township was owned by the Bell family from 1899 to 1954. The family started General Mills, Inc. after establishing their first mill in Philadelphia in 1801.
By The Numbers
Big Towns
MUNICIPALITY |
Average Residential Property Value |
Average Total Property Taxes |
Crime Rate % Per 1,000 residents |
---|---|---|---|
Bordentown Twp. |
$242,880 |
$7,513 |
6.7 |
Burlington Twp. |
$235,100 |
$6,791 |
14.2 |
Cinnaminson |
$235,609 |
$8,191 |
22.9 |
Delran |
$210,603 |
$7,949 |
11.7 |
Evesham |
$272,616 |
$8,224 |
8.5 |
Florence |
$222,177 |
$5,339 |
4.5 |
Lumberton |
$301,304 |
$7,523 |
16.2 |
Maple Shade |
$161,135 |
$5,938 |
24.4 |
Medford |
$329,342 |
$10,924 |
9.1 |
Moorestown |
$460,778 |
$12,330 |
7.9 |
Mount Holly |
$174,352 |
$5,460 |
15.5 |
Mount Laurel |
$238,196 |
$6,684 |
13.7 |
Pemberton |
$165,189 |
$4,750 |
16.2 |
Southampton |
$192,823 |
$6,125 |
9.1 |
Willingboro |
$160,357 |
$6,870 |
8.4 |
Bellmawr |
$167,839 |
$6,337 |
16.6 |
Cherry Hill |
$227,281 |
$8,857 |
23.1 |
Collingswood |
$232,569 |
$8,888 |
26.1 |
Gloucester City |
$108,921 |
$5,450 |
25.5 |
Gloucester Twp. |
$188,856 |
$7,533 |
13.1 |
Haddon Twp. |
$232,657 |
$8,891 |
20.8 |
Haddonfield |
$522,966 |
$16,667 |
18.2 |
Lindenwold |
$111,261 |
$5,310 |
30.5 |
Pennsauken |
$142,157 |
$5,784 |
28.7 |
Pine Hill |
$117,890 |
$6,042 |
19.1 |
Voorhees |
$262,541 |
$11,085 |
9.6 |
Waterford |
$175,127 |
$7,524 |
7.5 |
Winslow |
$176,985 |
$6,249 |
10.6 |
Deptford |
$182,807 |
$5,973 |
35 |
Franklin Twp. |
$188,310 |
$6,710 |
9.4 |
Glassboro |
$191,806 |
$6,711 |
15.6 |
Harrison Twp. |
$344,844 |
$10,814 |
7 |
Mantua |
$312,660 |
$7,705 |
12.6 |
Monroe |
$206,215 |
$7,495 |
11.8 |
Washington Twp. |
$232,514 |
$7,948 |
9.8 |
West Deptford |
$200,904 |
$6,924 |
12.4 |
Woodbury |
$152,799 |
$7,089 |
37.5 |
Woolwich |
$320,835 |
$10,583 |
3.8 |
Small Towns
MUNICIPALITY |
Average Residential Property Value |
Average Total Property Taxes |
Crime Rate % Per 1,000 residents |
---|---|---|---|
Bordentown City |
205,120 |
$7,243 |
6.8 |
Burlington City |
139,437 |
$5,932 |
17.2 |
Chesterfield |
393,195 |
$12,274 |
1.8 |
Delanco |
195,592 |
$6,680 |
7.5 |
Eastampton |
232,242 |
$7,486 |
12.8 |
Edgewater Park Twp. |
182,701 |
$6,125 |
11.9 |
Hainesport |
282,270 |
$7,206 |
14.7 |
Mansfield |
239,477 |
$8,504 |
7.5 |
Medford Lakes |
288,812 |
$10,382 |
4.3 |
New Hanover Twp. |
182,002 |
$5,062 |
0.4 |
North Hanover Twp. |
321,420 |
$7,103 |
2.8 |
Palmyra |
148,648 |
$6,292 |
18.9 |
Riverside |
152,074 |
$5,845 |
12.4 |
Riverton |
248,032 |
$9,267 |
5.5 |
Shamong |
309,900 |
$9,255 |
5 |
Tabernacle |
274,309 |
$8,321 |
5 |
Westampton |
241,438 |
$6,525 |
22 |
Audubon |
203,320 |
$7,935 |
34.5 |
Barrington |
193,673 |
$8,953 |
10.2 |
Berlin |
236,007 |
$7,977 |
15.2 |
Berlin Twp. |
187,469 |
$7,188 |
35 |
Clementon |
120,044 |
$5,320 |
16.4 |
Haddon Heights |
293,841 |
$10,000 |
5.9 |
Magnolia |
148,698 |
$6,964 |
27.3 |
Merchantville |
188,726 |
$9,574 |
16.6 |
Mount Ephraim |
146,329 |
$7,544 |
64.2 |
Oaklyn |
165,039 |
$8,411 |
28.2 |
Runnemede |
148,744 |
$6,498 |
20.5 |
Somerdale |
143,424 |
$6,397 |
46.6 |
Stratford |
157,858 |
$7,296 |
15.6 |
Clayton |
155,593 |
$6,286 |
10.3 |
East Greenwich Twp. |
299,426 |
$9,214 |
8.1 |
Elk Twp. |
212,330 |
$7,704 |
7.7 |
Greenwich Twp. |
181,897 |
$6,414 |
10.3 |
Logan Twp. |
214,325 |
$4,308 |
13.7 |
National Park |
140,058 |
$6,556 |
15.3 |
Paulsboro |
105,103 |
$4,619 |
19.1 |
Pitman |
238,209 |
$8,099 |
5.8 |
Swedesboro |
173,164 |
$7,298 |
5.8 |
Wenonah |
260,238 |
$10,979 |
9.5 |
Westville |
127,214 |
$6,379 |
24.8 |
Woodbury Heights |
178,735 |
$8,483 |
24.5 |
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 2 (May2024)
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