newjerseynewsroom.com

70% tell pollsters Jersey is a good place to live

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Seven in 10 New Jersey residents rate the state as either an excellent (20 percent) or a good (50 percent) place to live, a Monmouth University poll released Monday has determined.

The 70 percent positive rating is the highest recorded since May 2003 when it stood at 72 percent, and a marked improvement over the 30-year low of 57 percent recorded in August.

In its regular tracking of New Jerseyans’ satisfaction with life in their state, the poll found that the current Garden State Quality of Life Index has jumped to +31, from +25 in February. This marks the third consecutive increase in the index and the highest score since the index debuted in December 2010 at +21.

“Upward movement in the Garden State Quality of Life Index seems to have accelerated in the past few months, with the biggest factor being more positive views of New Jersey as a whole,” Patrick Murray, the poll’s director, said.

The state evaluation contributes half of the total Garden State Quality of Life Index score. The other half is comprised of ratings of various local aspects of New Jersey life. These ratings have remained fairly steady, including positive ratings of a New Jerseyan’s town as a place to live (76 percent), the local environment (75 percent), local schools (63 percent) and neighborhood safety (64 percent).

Compared to February, the Quality of Life Index has seen significant increases among New Jersey men – from +20 two months ago to +33. The score among state women actually declined by two points from +30 to +28.

The index score among older residents also jumped. New Jerseyans age 55 and over now score +37 on the index – up from +26 in February – and give higher ratings than those age 35 to 54 (+30) or 18 to 34 (+25). The Quality of Life Index score among urban residents nearly doubled from +11 in February to +20 now, but still trails the score of suburban residents (+36).

The Quality of Life Index was created by the Monmouth Polling Institute to serve as indicator of the quality of life in New Jersey. The index can potentially range from -100 to +100.

The poll was conducted by telephone with 804 New Jersey adults from April 11 through 15. The poll margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.