New Jersey Ranks No. 3 Best State To Live, No. 4 Happiest in Nation

New Jersey scored third-best state to live in and fourth-happiest across the nation. That's what WalletHub found when they released their 2025 rankings. Princeton University grabbed first place among all colleges and universities they checked.

The Miami-based personal finance site examined states and cities using many different measures this year. They looked at job opportunities, schools, how much people earn, and what groceries cost. WalletHub studied 182 cities in most of their rankings — that included the 150 biggest U.S. cities plus at least two of the most populated towns from each state.

What makes people happy? The ranking checked things like how many people feel depressed, how many adults feel they're getting things done, whether incomes are growing, and how many can't find work. When figuring out the best state to live, WalletHub dug through all kinds of quality-of-life markers across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Princeton University led the pack. WalletHub evaluated 791 schools back in October. They measured how picky schools are with students, what it costs to attend, how good the teachers are, whether the campus stays safe, what student life feels like, how well students learn, and what happens after graduation. Stevens Institute of Technology landed at No. 91. New Jersey Institute of Technology? No. 141.

The Garden State also came in second for states where people pull in the most money — Virginia beat them. The median yearly income hit $122,447 when you adjust for what things actually cost to buy. The top 5% of earners brought home $522,128 per year. The bottom 20%? They made $17,083.

Schools matter here. The state placed third for having one of the best school systems around, coming in behind Massachusetts and Connecticut. The ranking weighed how well students perform, how much money schools get, whether kids stay safe, class sizes, and teacher qualifications.

New Jersey hit No. 17 among best states to find work. WalletHub compared states using 34 different signs of job-market strength and economic health — things like whether more jobs are opening up, the middle point of yearly income, and how long people spend getting to work.

The state scored No. 39 on the list of most overweight and obese states. That puts it among the healthier ones. Jersey City ranked No. 10 among best cities for women. Newark came in at No. 157.