Moving to New Jersey?
A one-of-a-kind state with its own unique personality and attitude, New Jersey is located directly in between two of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, yet manages to stand alone as an individual state in its own right, with its own culture, tastes and experiences.
With a world-famous shoreline that has been featured in countless television shows and movies with a music scene that has produced such worldwide hit-makers as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, New Jersey manages to take the best influences of its neighbors, New York and Philadelphia, and add them to its own diverse blend of culture.
Full of history, and scenic landscapes that stretch from the far northwest corner of the state and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, to the bottom southeast corner of the state and the Atlantic coast, New Jersey has a lot to offer no matter where you end up.
If you’re moving to New Jersey, there are a lot of things you’re going to need to know. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
Things to Know When Moving to New Jersey
New Jersey Climate
New Jersey’s subtropical climate is one that produces a mixture of weather that is often mild, and at times, unpredictable. With winter temperatures typically ranging from the high-20s to low-40s, depending on the weather front, winters can vary throughout the state, with northern areas receiving heavy snowfall at times. During the summers, temperatures can soar to the upper-80s and lower-90s during the months of July and August and the humidity tends to also be very high during these months. Extreme weather such as tornadoes and hurricanes are not common, but can occur during the summer months as well, particular in the coastal and central regions of the state.
Registering your Car
Upon your arrival in New Jersey after moving to the state permanently, you will have to update your registration and have your vehicle registered in the state before you may be required to pay a penalty. You will have to also pick up new titles and registration certificates for your vehicle.
Obtaining a New Jersey Driver’s License
If you are moving to New Jersey from another state where you hold a driver’s license, you will need to turn in your out-of-state license and apply for a new license examination permit. The state requires new New Jersey residents to update their license from their previous state to a New Jersey driver’s license within 60 days of moving. One you have obtained this examination permit you will have to pass a vision test and possibly a written or driving test to obtain your New Jersey license.
Crime Rankings
As of 2011, New Jersey was ranked 22nd out of 50 states in violent crime, with a total of less than 25 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in the state.
Industries
The main contributor to New Jersey’s state economy is the pharmaceutical industry. New Jersey has long since been a major player in the world of pharmaceuticals with the U.S. headquarters for several major pharmaceutical companies being located in the state, such as Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck, Hoffman-LaRoche and Bristol Myers Squibb. New Jersey also has a strong telecom presence with companies such as Verizon, AT&T, and Alcatel-Lucent Technologies calling New Jersey their home. New Jersey is the home to a total of 24 Fortune 500 companies, and nine of the state’s counties rank among the 100 wealthiest in the nation.
Employment Statistics
As of early 2012, the state of New Jersey had an unemployment rate of 9.0 percent. Over the last year, job creation in the state has raised the total of employed residents in the state by over 40,000.
Average Income
The median household income in the state of New Jersey is $55,146, while the average per capita income for the state is $27,006.
Moving and Storage
If you are looking for a moving company or storage facility to help you with anything, you should check to make sure the company is registered with the United States Department of Transportation or with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Real Estate
The average listing price for homes in New Jersey is $430,619, while the median sales price is just over $342,000. The New Jersey Association of Realtors is the official real estate resource for the state of New Jersey.
Major landmarks and attractions
New Jersey State Museum; Thomas Edison Museum; Liberty Science Center; Ellis Island; Liberty State Park; Six Flags Great Adventure; State Theater; Atlantic City boardwalk; Cape May; Wildwood boardwalk; The Stone Pony; Asbury Park boardwalk
Largest Cities: Newark, Trenton, Hoboken, Jersey City, Atlantic City, Cherry Hill, Seaside Heights, New Brunswick, Princeton
Schools
Overall, New Jersey has a reputation for having a respected and well-established educational system that currently contains over 605 different school districts throughout the state. Recent studies have shown that the state of New Jersey spends more money per student than every state in the country except for New York. Also, several counties in New Jersey have students scoring among the highest SAT scores in the nation. Among the many great public schools in the state of New Jersey, there are also several well-known collegiate institutions including Princeton University, tied with Harvard for the best school in the nation in a 2011 survey, Rutgers University, one of the oldest public universities in America, as well as Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, Rowan University, Monmouth University, Seton Hall University and many others.
National Parks
Delaware Water Gap
Ellis Island
Gateway National Park
Morristown National Historical Park
New Jersey Pinelands
Paterson Great Falls
State park System
In addition to the many wonderful national parks located throughout the state, there are hundreds more scenic state parks that reach from the northern mountainous regions of the state to the low-lying coastal plains of southern New Jersey. Although urban development has overtaken many suburban areas, there are still thousands of acres of beautiful undisturbed landscape still to be found in New Jersey.
Major Airports
Newark International Airport
Atlantic City International Airport
Trenton-Mercer Airport
Teterboro Airport