With tensions constantly high and everyone in a rush to get to the next thing on their busy schedule, and with our reputation for being pretty good at complaining, you wouldn't expect New Jersey to be anywhere in the top half of the "peaceful states" list, right?

Well, if that's what you thought, you'd actually be dead wrong. According to Far and Wide, New Jersey is, in fact, in the top half of states, and petty darn close to the very top of their Peaceful States list.

It turns out that you and all your great neighbors can boast about the fact that our Garden State is the 11th most peaceful state in the nation. Still not completely convinced? I wasn't either, but they did have some nice things to say about New Jersey.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
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The article breaks through the stereotypes of fighting at clubs and gambling and partying, and they see us for who we really are, primarily a nice, suburban group of people who just want to mind our business and go about our day.

It's nice to see a national publication giving us some nice reviews. Especially on a topic like this. Peaceful is definitely something we want to be. And in a stressed-out place like the one we navigate each day, it's nice to hear we're doing such a good job of it.

Having said that, here are some parts of the Garden State where you're not likely to find too much peaceful behavior this holiday week...the Parkway, the mall, and the supermarket. Let's not get too crazy with this peaceful thing. We have stuff to do.

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Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

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