The reason I'm diving into this article from Money Inc. is to express my belief that even the towns that are struggling the hardest have positives that should be spotlighted.

Money Inc. has released its 2023 "Worst Places to Live in New Jersey" list.

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It calls out 20 towns in The Garden State based on crime and unemployment rates and the average median income.

I want to make it crystal clear that I did not choose this list and don't agree with the rankings. 

In fact, I've highlighted a positive from each New Jersey town that is considered "the worst."

Here's an example.

Have you ever heard of Penns Grove? If not, no worries. It's new to me as well.

This tiny town ranked 19 in the top 20. Why? Violent crime. It is 73% higher than the national average.

What's not mentioned is that Penns Grove is extremely diverse, which I believe is a good thing. It's also very close to Philadelphia for commuters. Again, not all bad.

Money Inc. wrote:

<p>New Jersey has a lot of great things going for it. But nowhere is completely immune to problems, New Jersey included. For every exclusive, glitzy beachside community, there’s a trouble spot.</p><p>In some of New Jersey’s less salubrious destinations, unemployment and poverty rates are skyrocketing, while crime, drug dealing, and other nefarious activities are getting worse by the day.</p><p>If you’re considering packing up and heading to New Jersey, there are a few places you might want to think long and hard about before moving in.</p>

Let's take a fair look at the good and bad sides of some New Jersey towns.

20 New Jersey Towns You Should Absolutely Stay Away From

Money Inc. released its rundown of the "Worst Places to Live in New Jersey." According to the article, they based their findings on crime and unemployment rates, and average household income. There are silver linings to each town as you will see.

Gallery Credit: Matt Ryan

NEXT: The 100 Best Places to Live on the East Coast