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The Garden State shines for its education, health care, opportunity and crime/corrections, according to the website's annual report.
New Jerseyans earn a median income of $40,567 and 46 percent of residents are college-educated.
The state was ranked at No. 49 for fiscal stability (yikes), Illinois at 50.
Washington holds the top seed for its infrastructure, economy, healthcare and education with New Hampshire in second -- ranked No. 1 for crime/corrections and opportunity.
"The Best States ranking of U.S. states draws on thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens," the website says.
"In addition to health care and education, the metrics take into account a state’s economy, its roads, bridges, internet and other infrastructure, its public safety, the fiscal stability of state government, and the opportunity it affords its residents."
Here are New Jersey's rankings:
- HEALTH CARE: 6
- EDUCATION: 2
- ECONOMY: 31
- INFRASTRUCTURE: 34
- OPPORTUNITY: 8
- FISCAL STABILITY: 49
- CRIME & CORRECTIONS: 6
- NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: 13
"The home of native musical legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston, New Jersey is known for more than producing popular hitmakers. It has world-class universities, leading technology and biological science firms and one fast turnpike," the report says.
"More than 5,000 information and technology companies are based in New Jersey, including Verizon. The state is also a leader in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries. Other industrial giants headquartered in New Jersey include Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson and Merck.
New Jersey’s tourism industry also has grown due to its extensive transportation system. Cape May, Atlantic City – the East Coast’s answer to mega-casino hub Las Vegas – and the rest of the Jersey Shore attract millions of visitors every year."
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