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16. Hillsborough, NJ
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Hillsborough, NJ
16
Top 50 rank: 16
Population: 38,828

An hour from Philadelphia, New York City, and the Jersey shore, this town has preserved its farm-country roots and protected one-third of its land from development.

It's home to the 2,700-acre Duke Farm, the estate of heiress Doris Duke, which opened free to the public last year for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing.

Located off a busy highway, Hillsborough is developing a pedestrian-friendly town center that will bring shops, restaurants, and housing to its Main Street. --D.R.

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Hillsborough, NJ
Town stats
Median family income (per year)
$122,949
Job growth % (2010-2012)
3.34%
Median home price (2012)
$340,000
Reading test scores (% above/below average)
21.6%
Math test scores (% above/below average)
20.1%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)
0
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)
8
Financials
Town stats
Median family income (per year)
$122,949
Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted)
$80,076
Sales tax (state)
6.91%
State income tax rate (highest bracket)
8.97%I
State income tax rate (lowest bracket)
1.40%I
Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state)
$1,977
Job growth % (2010-2012)
3.34%
Housing
Median home price (2012)
$340,000
Average property taxes
(2011)
$8,003
Education
Reading test scores (% above/below state average)
21.6%
Test scores math (% above/below average)
20.1%
% students attending public/private schools (located within town limits)
95.5/4.5
Quality of life
Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good)
N.A.
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)
0
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)
8
Median commute time (in minutes)
29.8
% population with commute 45 mins. or longer
26.6%
% population walk or bike to work
1.5%
Leisure and culture
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts)
1.6
Weather
Annual rainfall (inches)
46.25
% clear days in the area
56%
High temp in July ° F
84.4°
Low temp in Jan ° F
19.1°
Meet the neighbors
Median age
39.4
Completed at least some college (% of residents)
72.5%
Married %
62.1%
Divorced %
5.4%
Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)
92.4
View moreless See Hillsborough homes for sale
From the September 2013 issue

Source: Onboard Informatics. Details


(I) Income tax notes:
The New Jersey rates reported are for single individuals. For married couples filing jointly, the tax rates also range from 1.4% to 8.97%, with 7 brackets and the same high and low income ranges.
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  • Homes for sale
  • Hillsborough real estate
Real estate and homes for sale on Trulia
Fan Favorite Towns

Money picked the top 100. Now it's your turn: Which town will be our fan favorite? 'Like' your town and it might just make it to No. 1.

Town # of Likes
1. Sharon, MA 11,968
2. Apex, NC 10,738
3. Westford, MA 6,023
4. Peachtree City, GA 5,632
5. Hillsborough, NJ 5,329
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How we pick the Best Places
Using statistics from data services company Onboard Informatics and other sources, 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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