NJ list ranks most affordable places to live

Affordability is not easy to come by when searching for a home in New Jersey, but a new list may have some answers to that dilemma.

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The financial group SmartAsset created a list of the top 10 most affordable places to live in New Jersey. Most can be found in the southern half of the state.

The group compared typical housing expenses -- closing costs, property taxes, insurance and mortgage payment -- with a municipality's median income to develop the list.

Clayton, in Gloucester County, took top honors.

"Clayton has average closing costs of just under $3,500," said AJ Smith, SmartAsset managing editor. "And then the average annual mortgage payment is $9,700."

Clayton Mayor Tom Bianco was pleased with the report's findings.

"I'm extremely excited and proud that Clayton has been recognized as the most affordable place in New Jersey to live, but more importantly that Clayton is a community where people want to live and raise their families," Bianco said.

Gloucester County, meanwhile, ranked as the most affordable county in the state. Essex was deemed the least affordable.