About New Jersey Area
Retirement Living in New Jersey
New Jersey, also known as “The Garden City”, is a northeastern U.S state located in the Mid-Atlantic region. It’s home to numerous 55+ Neighborhoods and lifestyle communities, making it one of the Top Retirement Destinations in the U.S This is all thanks to this state’s favorable climate, diverse lineup of age-restricted communities, abundant local and historic attractions as well as amazing culture.
New Jersey Climate and Geography is ideal for Active Retirement
New Jersey is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Northeastern part of the country. It is a peninsula, which is bordered by New York in the north and east; by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and south; by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania on the west and Delaware on the southwest. This state is divided into three geographic regions: North Jersey, Central Jersey and South Jersey.
There are two climatic conditions happening here. At the southern, central and northeastern parts, they have a humid subtropical climate while parts of the northwest region have a humid continental climate.
Summers are normally hot and humid. The highest temperature in July is 85°F. While winters are normally cold. The lowest temperature in January is 23°F. The average temperature here is 51.93% and there are approximately 206 sunny days per year here.
New Jersey offers Plenty of Recreation, Culture and Entertainment for Active Adults
New Jersey has plenty of gorgeous natural and historic parks like the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve. There, you can see some historic villages and berry farms among the vast oak-pine forests, broad wetlands and diverse species of plants and animals. Aside from that, there’s also the Cattus Island County Park, the Paterson Great Falls and the High Point State Park.
In addition, there are also a lot of history and art museums here. The Thomas Edison National Historic Park features the home and former laboratory of the great Thomas Edison. Then there’s the Battlefield State Park, the Ellis Island National Monument and the majestic USS New Jersey.
Residents who live in Retirement Communities near the Atlantic City can visit The Boardwalk and spend an awesome day just basking in the sun, sand and sea. Other notable recreational beaches include the Sandy Hook and Long Beach Island.
Of course you can also see the iconic Statue of Liberty by taking a tour to Liberty State Park. In addition, the Jersey Shore includes a couple of famous resort towns like historic Asbury Park and Cape May -- with all its well-preserved Victorian buildings.
Good news for retirees who love playing golf, this state is literally teeming with public and private golf courses.
Here in New Jersey, residents can enjoy a lot of modern conveniences along with plenty of local entertainment and natural recreation spots.
Cost of Living and Taxes to Consider when Retiring to New Jersey
Unfortunately, the taxes in New Jersey are among the highest in the country. In fact, the average cost of living here is $126.60 which is 26.60% higher than the U.S average. But many retirees still prefer to live in one of the Active Adult Communities here because though it’s a little costly, when compared to the other states in the East Coast area, New Jersey still has the lowest cost of living.
The highest tax rate in its progressive tax system is 8.97%. Property taxes on the other hand, are also significantly higher at an average effective property tax rate of 2.19%.
New Jersey Healthcare for those in Retirement
New Jersey has a healthy physician to patient ratio of 259. It’s significantly higher than the U.S average of 210. Residents of 55+ Neighborhoods are living at ease knowing that they can easily get first-class health care and treatment from one of the top ranking university hospitals and medical centers here.
The Hackensack Meridian Health Ocean Medical Center provides residents with the best care along with their exceptional healthcare services. HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River is a 98-bed rehabilitation hospital that provides a higher level of comprehensive rehabilitation services for residents in Toms River and nearby counties.
Other hospitals and specialty centers include the Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey, the United Healthcare, the Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the Deborah Hospital Foundation.