NJ ranks #2 best state to live in — I blame the property tax bill

We're #2! We're #2! I'll take it, and honestly, if it weren't for one particularly pesky affordability problem, I think we'd have a real shot at #1.

WalletHub just released its 2026 ranking of the best states to live in, and New Jersey came in second, up from third place a year ago. Only one state finished ahead of us. Idaho.

When I think Idaho, I think potatoes. Dark, dull, sitting underground until someone digs them up. When people in Idaho think of New Jersey, I'd guess they're picturing mobsters and Turnpike traffic, which isn't exactly fair either, but I'll take that stereotype over a root vegetable any day. Give me a bright red, juicy Jersey tomato over a potato every time, even if the ground it's grown in is taxed within an inch of its life.

The numbers behind the ranking

WalletHub compared all 50 states across 51 measures of livability, sorted into five categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. New Jersey finished first in the entire country for safety. First. We also landed 7th in education and health, 9th in quality of life, and 24th in economy. Residents here have the third-highest median household income in the nation, at nearly $104,000, the second-lowest median debt relative to what they earn, and some of the lowest poverty and food insecurity rates anywhere. On health, New Jersey posted the second-lowest premature death rate in the country, the third-lowest obesity rate, and the third-best overall life expectancy.

SEE ALSO: 10 reasons NJ is so expensive — and why it keeps getting worse 

Wallet Hub 2026 survey screenshot

And then there's the one number dragging us down

Affordability. New Jersey finished 49th, second-to-last in the entire country, on that measure alone. I don't think that surprises a single person reading this. I've spent most of this summer writing about property tax deadlines, ANCHOR letters, and grace periods, and every one of those pieces exists because that number is real and it's brutal. It's genuinely the only thing standing between New Jersey and the top spot on this list. Take the tax bill out of the equation and I'd put real money on us beating Idaho outright.

Idaho gets low taxes, short commutes, and a lot of open land. We get the highest income, the best safety record in the country, and a tomato that actually tastes like something. I know which trade I'd take. We're #2, and honestly, for a state that never stops getting mocked for tolls and traffic, I'll wear that number proudly.

👇Peak at my galleries below for some of the things I love about New Jersey! 👇