South Jersey Magazine Puts West Deptford Third in Annual Rankings

Moorestown? Cherry Hill? Mt. Laurel?

They’ve got nothing on West Deptford, according to this year’s rankings of the top towns to live in South Jersey by South Jersey Magazine.

Making its debut on the list at No. 3, behind only Haddonfield and Medford, the township was cited for its relatively low residential property taxes, a strong recreation program and balanced neighborhood growth.

“West Deptford has attributes of a great community that others in the area wish they had,” Mayor Ray Chintall said.

From waterfront access at , an easy ride into Philadelphia and the airport, a strong and an established business community that can thrive on the access provided by rail, highway and the deep-water port at Eagle Point, Chintall said the township has the right mix of everything.

While he cautioned the township’s debt load is a concern down the line, Chintall said steps are being taken to try to expand the ratable base, which shrank this year by about $250 million in value.

“We are aggressively looking for new business to set up home in West Deptford,” he said. “I am proud to be a resident of West Deptford, and that is why I am adamant to solidify our financial base in an efficient and effective fiducially manner, so our community remains a viable community for personal and professional growth now and in the foreseeable future.”

West Deptford was No. 7 in Gloucester County last year, and didn’t even crack the top 25, making this year’s ranking that much more impressive.

The rankings were calculated somewhat differently this year, according to South Jersey Magazine, which published the list in this month’s issue. They included reams of data on property values, crime rates, high school performance, the number of doctors in the area and recreational offerings, all crunched by Niranjan Pati, dean of the Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University.

West Deptford was the top-ranked town in Gloucester County, and was also ranked highly in high school performance (14), lowest residential property taxes (9) and property values (18).

Overall Rankings

1. Medford
2. Haddonfield
3. West Deptford
4. Haddon Township
5. Moorestown
6. Cherry Hill
7. Voorhees
8. Woolwich
9. Mount Laurel
10. Mansfield
11. Westampton
12. Harrison Township
13. Edgewater Park
14. Mantua
15. Southampton
16. East Greenwich
17. Mount Holly
18. Waterford
19. Burlington Township
20. Marlton
21. Glassboro
22. Florence
23. Delran
24. Cinnaminson
25. Pitman