New Jersey to Rest of US: We’re Proud of our State; Location, Beaches, Quality of Life Make Jersey Great
Residents concerned with state’s ‘bum rap’ but say New Jersey is a good place to live
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – From the Skylands to the tip of Cape May, residents of the Garden State are proud to live in New Jersey, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll. More than three-quarters of New Jerseyans say they take pride in living here, including 56 percent who exhibit “a lot” of pride. Conversely, only 18 percent say they feel little or no pride about living in New Jersey.
This pride abounds despite concern about how New Jersey is viewed by outsiders. Fifty-seven percent of residents believe New Jersey has a negative image outside of the state, while 35 percent think the state has a positive image; 5 percent say it has a little of both.
Asked in particular about a recent YouGov survey that called New Jersey the most disliked state in the nation, residents are mixed about how much it matters: 26 percent think it matters a lot, 27 percent say some, 14 percent a little, and 33 percent not at all.
Nevertheless, six in 10 New Jerseyans see the Garden State as an excellent or good place to live while three in 10 say it is only fair, and just one in 10 say poor. Moreover, most residents believe the state is as good a place to live as any other: just 23 percent say New Jersey is a worse place to live compared to other states, while 39 percent say it is the same, and 33 percent say it is better.
“In July’s national YouGov survey, New Jersey was the only state about which the rest of America was more negative than positive,” said Ashley Koning, assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University. “So we wanted to get New Jerseyans’ take on their own state and to find out how much ‘Jersey pride’ residents have and the reasons they might find New Jersey a great place to live.”
Allegiance to the Garden State stems from the features residents love most. Most important is the state’s location, convenience, and proximity to places like New York and Philadelphia, at 17 percent of New Jerseyans. Following close behind, at 16 percent, is access to the shore, beach, and ocean. Eleven percent of New Jerseyans reference the general quality of life.
“Where else can you be an hour away from two of the biggest cities in the country, as well as the shore – not to mention the variety of scenery, seasons, and culture in between?” said Koning.
Results are from a statewide poll of 867 adults contacted by live callers on both landlines and cell phones from July 25 to August 1. The sample has a margin of error of +/-3.9 percentage points. Interviews were done in English and, when requested, Spanish. To read the entire poll, click here.
EDITOR’S NOTE: ATTENTION POLITICAL, ASSIGNMENT EDITORS, Poll Assistant Director Ashley Koning may be contacted at 908-872-1186 (cell), 848-932-8940 (office), or akoning@rutgers.edu until 11 p.m. Poll Director David Redlawsk may be reached at 319-400-1134 (cell) or redlawsk@rutgers.edu. Find all releases at http://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu, and visit our blog at http://eagletonpollblog.wordpress.com for additional commentary. Follow the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RutgersEagletonPoll and Twitter @EagletonPoll.