Most New Jersey residents proud of their state
Boaters sail off Pine Beach, New Jersey. Sixteen percent of Garden State residents polled recently 16 percent say their favorite thing about the state is something to do with the New Jersey Shore, the beaches, or the ocean. (AP file photo)
New Jersey seems to conjure a negative image outside the state, but a new poll finds Garden State residents are proud of it.
Three-quarters of residents surveyed said they’re proud to live in the state and that it has a lot to offer, said Ashley Koning, assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers.
“Seventeen percent of New Jerseyans — when we asked for their favorite thing about living in New Jersey — mention something about location, convenience, or proximity,” she said. “There were mentions of the Delaware River, there were mentions of Philadelphia, but New York City is one of the highest points that come up.”
There are other reasons residents like the state, Konig said.
“We can’t forget about our shoreline with 16 percent saying their favorite thing about the state is something to do with the New Jersey Shore, the beaches, or the ocean,” she said. “Followed by 11 percent who actually said something about the quality of life in New Jersey in general being a nice place to live.”
Most residents surveyed said New Jersey is no worse than any other state. And a few said what makes it different is not having to pump their own gas.
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