Cranford Ranked No. 141 on NJ Monthly’s ‘Top Towns List’

In 2010, Cranford was ranked No. 34 on NJ Monthly Magazine’s List of 'Best Place to live in New Jersey," but this year the township was ranked much lower at No. 141.

NJ Monthly uses a proprietary formula to create the ranking, which includes factors such as home prices, taxes, crime rates, school results and other lifestyle attributes, according to the magazine. For more on the methodology, visit the full “Top Towns” article in NJ Monthly Magazine.

The article notes Township's average property tax in 2012 was $9,905.  The median home sale price for 2012 was listed as $400,000. Crime rates in the township were noted at 11.4 percent for every 1,000 residents, but violent crimes at .04 percent (using data from 2011).

Morris County’s, Mendham Borough, was named the best town to live in New Jersey for its strong sense of community and relatively low taxes, the article states.

In May, Cranford High School was ranked No. 206 out of 2,000 high schools in the country on Newsweek’s list of “America’s Best High Schools.”  In mid-August, the Township was also named one of the 'Best Places to Live for the Rich and Single' by CNN Money Magazine.

What do you think? Should Cranford have been ranked higher?

Nearby, Westfield was No. 89 on the list, with Scotch Plains at No. 82 and Clark at No. 174.