From schools, the local community, business and recreation, when it comes to settling down and raising a family, New Jersey couples have several factors to consider.

Kennedy Park Fountain (Sayreville.com)
Kennedy Park Fountain (Sayreville.com)
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NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website, has analyzed national and statewide data and has determined that Sayreville, Ridgewood, Fair Lawn, Westfield and Old Bridge are the top five towns in the Garden State for young families.

"We looked at three factors in particular; income, affordability and quality of schools," said Mike Anderson, analyst at NerdWallet. "In general, towns and cities across New Jersey bring in much more revenue than they do in other states, the economy is doing quite well. These towns in particular had very good school systems and students did very well on standardized tests."

When it comes to home ownership, NerdWallet looked not only at the overall price of a home in New Jersey, but also at the ongoing cost of home ownership.

"In addition to mortgage payments, we looked at taxes on real estate, utilities, fuel and other bills. The communities that made the top five were more affordable in that respect which also made them more affordable in other areas as well," said Anderson. "While home values are much higher in New Jersey than they are in other states, income is higher as well. That is due to local businesses in New Jersey and to the fact that many people commute into Manhattan for work."

Bergenfield, Toms River, Summit, Somerset and Cliffside Park round out the top ten best towns in New Jersey for young families.

Check out the study in its entirety.

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