Just mention New Jersey, and you’re sure to draw a one-liner or a chuckle. It seems that The Garden State just doesn’t get any respect. It should, though. New Jersey is one of the most vibrant metropolitan areas in the country, a crossroads on the Eastern Seaboard between New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC. Its relationship to all these nationally important urban areas fueled its population boom in the 1950s, as many of these urban residents flocked to still rural suburbs in New Jersey. These days, with over 8.5 million residents, New Jersey is hardly suburban, but it’s still a great place to have a family.

If you ever have any hope of understanding New Jersey, you must understand that it is largely divided into three geographic, and to some extent, cultural, areas: North Jersey; Central Jersey; and South Jersey. North Jersey lies in the New York metropolitan area. It is heavily populated, and many of its residents commute to jobs in New York City. They are culturally influenced by New York City, and tend to visit "The City" for entertainment and recreation. The region is a culturally diverse mix of working class people and wealthy New Yorkers, Jews, Catholics and Protestants. This is the part of New Jersey that most Americans are thinking of when they think of New Jersey. South Jersey, most of which lies in the Delaware Valley, is also heavily populated. This area is much more culturally influenced by Philadelphia. Residents of this area also visit "The City" for recreation and entertainment, but here they are referring to Philadelphia. This area was recently named one of the best places to live by Money Magazine, and its most famous city is Atlantic City. Central Jersey is largely suburban, taking in overflow from the northern and southern regions. Some people dispute whether this area exists as a culturally distinct part of the state at all. Indeed, the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas are no longer separated by Central Jersey, but instead meet in it. Even so, Central New Jersey is becoming more heavily influenced by New York.

As you might expect, with all those people and regions, New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the nation. It’s about 69% white, 11% Hispanic, 15% African American and about 6% Asian. It has the largest Jewish population by percent, the second largest Muslim and Indian American populations, by percent and the third highest Asian population. All these diverse peoples contribute to New Jersey’s vibrant industrial economy. New Jersey’s ports and airports are among the busiest in the world, and the New Jersey Turnpike is among the most-traveled highways in the country. No less than 50 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the state. New Jersey has the highest median household income in the nation, and the 4^th highest per capita income, at around $41,000 annually.