For years, people enjoyed making fun of New Jersey as “less than” its neighbors. Let’s face it. Shows like MTV’s “The Jersey Shore” did us no favors. (Gym, tan, laundry anyone?) Last month, the New York Post published an article about the level of education residents of each state plus DC achieved. They named the Garden State as the smartest state in the country.
Smartest State in the USA: New Jersey
The New York Post’s article cited a study that SmartHome.org put together. Smart Home used Census data to compile information about the education levels of the residents of each state. They also took into consideration the SAT and ACT scores and high school graduation rates gleaned from the Department of Education stats. New Jersey ranked at the top of the list with a total score of 337.8. Our New York neighbors ranked 32nd with a score of 206.5.
Breakdown of Stats
New Jersey tied with Iowa for the states with the highest graduation rate in the public school system (91%). We came in second for residents with a bachelor’s degree. DC came in #1 with the percentage of residents who earned a graduate/professional degree (33.4%). New Jersey ranked #8 (15.6%), just 0.2% less than New York. The median SAT score for New Jersey schoolchildren last year was 1090. Sixty-four percent of students met the benchmarks on the ACT test.
Westfield Accomplishments
Earlier this year, Niche.com gave Westfield an A+ for Best Places to Live in New Jersey. Wallethub put us in their top 30 Best Small Cities in America list. And Safewise.com called us the Safest City in Union County, ranking us #6 for the entire state of New Jersey. So, you can see why New Jersey, in general, and Westfield, in particular, make for a great place to reside.
A Quick “Thank You”
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who purchased a tree or wreath from our Christmas tree lot this year. The money we raised helps us with our philanthropic efforts throughout the rest of the year. You helped us make the tree lot another grand success. Thank you!
Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes