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6. Warren, NJ
Warren
WINNER
Top 100 rank: 6
Population: 16,100
Unemployment: 6.9%
Compare Warren to Top 10 Best Places
Children, commuters, cul-de-sacs--sure, Warren has those. But it isn't the typical big-city suburb. Here, fields aren't used just to kick soccer balls but also to raise cows and crops, thanks to 72 working farms. You'll see few sidewalks and streetlights; residents say they'd spoil the semi-rural atmosphere.

Many residents work in New York City, but there are plenty of jobs closer to home. Insurer Chubb has its headquarters in town. Embattled Citigroup has a large office in Warren, and a spokesperson says no layoffs are planned there.

Residents rave about the local schools and the family-friendly township recreation offerings, including a fishing derby for kids each May, a carnival in June, and a classic-car show in September. And when the charms of Warren wear thin, either the beach (the Jersey shore), the slopes (the Poconos), or high culture (Manhattan) is just an hour away.

Become a fan on facebookBecome a Facebook fan of Warren!
Is Warren a great town, or what?
Warren stats
Median family income
(per year)		 $153,666 $97,441
Job growth %
(2000-2008)*		 15.76% 19.58%
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Median home price $600,000 $262,148
See Warren homes for sale
Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)		 18.3% 25.6%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)		 18.9% 28.2%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) 13 1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000) 213 19
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)		 4,707 1,923
High temp in July ° F* 84.9° 85.5°
Low temp in Jan ° F* 20.0° 21.0°
Median age 40.8 36.6
Median family income
(per year)		 $153,666 $97,441
Family purchasing power
(annual, cost-of-living adjusted)		 $129,895 $95,041
State sales tax 7.00% 5.63%
State income tax rate
(highest bracket)		 8.97%I 6.06%
State income tax rate
(lowest bracket)		 1.40%I 3.07%
Auto insurance premiums
(Average price quotes, for the state)		 $2,546 $1,744
Job growth %
(2000-2008)*		 15.76% 19.58%
See jobs near Warren
Median home price $600,000 $262,148
Average property taxes
(2007)		 $9,922 $3,853
See Warren homes for sale
Colleges, universities and
professional schools (within 30 miles)		 90 20
Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)		 18.3% 25.6%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)		 18.9% 28.2%
% students attending public/private
schools (located within town limits)		 97.6/2.4 90.1/9.9
Air quality index*
(% of days AQI ranked as good)		 N.A. 78.6%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) 13 1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000) 213 19
Median commute time (in minutes) 28.7 22.5
% population with commute
45 mins. or longer		 24.4% 13.8%
% population walk or bike to work 1.4% 2.3%
Movie theaters
(within 15 miles)		 40 24
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)		 4,707 1,923
Bars
(within 15 miles)		 288 174
Public golf courses
(within 30 miles)		 271 148
Libraries
(within 15 miles)		 119 53
Museums (accredited by AAM;
within 30 miles)		 28 7
Ski resorts (within 100 miles) 31 17
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) 2.6 1.2
Annual rainfall
(inches)		 48.13 39.77
% clear days in the area 26 27
High temp in July ° F* 84.9° 85.5°
Low temp in Jan ° F* 20.0° 21.0°
Median age 40.8 36.6
Completed at least some college
(% of residents)		 76.8% 71.9%
Married % 70.5% 62.9%
Divorced % 3.8% 7.7%
Racial diversity index
(100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)		 83.2 58.9
From the August 2009 issue
Notes:
* County data
(3) Crime incidences are estimates based on FBI 2007 Universal Crime and incidence reports, OnBoard analysis.

(I) Income tax notes:
Some states effectively double the bracket widths for joint filers (AL, AZ, CT, HI, ID, KS, LA, ME, NE, NY, OR). CA doubles all bracket widths except the $1,000,000 bracket. Some states increase, but don't double, all or some bracket widths for joint filers (GA, MN, NM, NC, ND, OK, RI, VT, WI). Some states do not adjust their brackets for joint filers (AR, DE, IA, KY, MS, MO, MT, OH, SC, VA, WV, DC). Of these states, some permit married couples to file separately to avoid a marriage penalty, and some allow joint filers to make an adjustment to reduce their tax after it is calculated. MD decreases some of its bracket widths and increases others. NJ adds a 2.45% rate and doubles some bracket widths.
FORTUNE 500
Johnson & Johnson 29
Medco Health Solutions 45
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Help your town win!
Money picked the top 100. Now it’s your turn: Which town will be our fan favorite? Become a fan of your town and it might just make it to No. 1. Results updated monthly.
Town Become a fan # of fans
1. Louisville, CO Become a fan on facebook Add me! 4,256
2. Chanhassen, MN Become a fan on facebook Add me! 2,410
3. Papillion, NE Become a fan on facebook Add me! 1,581
4. Middleton, WI Become a fan on facebook Add me! 1,481
5. Milton, MA Become a fan on facebook Add me! 1,425
See the rest
Quiz: What's your Best Place?
Where should you consider moving? Go to Facebook and see which of Money's top 5 Best Places to Live best suits you. Take the quiz!
Find Your Best Places
Region
Northeast South
Midwest West
Ranking
Top 100 winners only
Population
8.3M
8,500
Home Prices
2008 median sales prices
$1.7M
$49K
Search by city or state
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Data partners
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Information powered by Onboard Informatics
Some data may be provided courtesy of its partners.
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Homes for sale provided by Trulia Real Estate Search.

How we picked the Best Places
Using statistics from data provider Onboard Informatics, we crunched the numbers in order to zero in on America's best small towns for families. (Last year, we looked at small cities, with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.) More

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