South Jersey Magazine just named Mantua Township as the #3 Best Town in Gloucester County and the #8 Best Town in South Jersey for 2026. We are climbing the ladder as we’ve moved-up from #10 in 2024 to #9 in 2025 and now #8 in 2026.
Mantua is ranked the 3rd best town out of the 24 municipalities in Gloucester County, and the 8th best town out of the 169 municipalities in South Jersey. Mantua Township (3rd), Harrison Township (2nd) and Woolwich Township (1st) make up the top three towns in Gloucester County for this year.
For many of us fixated on taxes, Mantua’s average property taxes are once again by far the lowest out of the top three towns in Gloucester County. Mantua’s average taxes are $7,870.00 by comparison to Woolwich’s which are averaging $10,928.00 and Harrison’s which are averaging $11,545.00.
I mentioned this in my previous article, and it’s worth mentioning it again. Mantua also has the second lowest tax rate in Gloucester County which makes our tax rate lower than twenty-two other municipalities in our county.
When comparing the top three towns in the county, our average property values are relatively close with Mantua’s being $312,818.00, Woolwich’s being at $323,678.00 and Harrison’s being at $349,848.00.
South Jersey Magazine states in their write-up, “We gathered all the data and crunched the numbers to come up with this year’s rankings of the best places to live, work and play in South Jersey.”
The article goes-on to explain, “As another year passes, our Top Towns spotlight once again celebrates the communities that define the region and contribute to its enduring appeal. This annual ranking highlights the places that continue to excel and evolve, offering residents a high quality of life and a strong sense of community. Our methodology incorporates data from the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Department of Education and the state’s Division of Local Government Services. Using a weighted formula, we analyzed factors including average property values and taxes, crime statistics and high school performance metrics such as SAT scores, graduation rates and other key indicators to determine this year’s rankings.”
The article continues by citing the following about our incredibly great community:
This tight-knit community continues to see enormous growth of new residents who are drawn to its highly touted schools, small-town appeal and overall high quality of life.
- Mantua is home to the world-renowned Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University, a 66-million-year-old fossil site that has gained attention near and far.
- The township is home to Mantua Creek, an iconic landmark of which the town’s name is derived from. The landmark is also theorized to have gotten its name from the original indigenous inhabitants of the land, who named Mantua “Manta,” which is the Lenape word for “frog.” The reason was the massive population of frogs that echoed along the river long ago.
- Mantua is located in the direct center of Gloucester County, bordering Deptford, East Greenwich, Glassboro, Harrison Township, Pitman, Washington Township, Wenonah and West Deptford.
For the record, Mantua has ranked as a top three town in Gloucester County in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. We dropped very slightly to 4th in 2023. We’ve been ranked in the top 10 in South Jersey for the last six out of seven years and elevated again this year by moving up to the number eight spot.
We’re proud to be recognized as such a desirable place to live in Gloucester County and throughout South Jersey and are incredibly grateful for this very special recognition.
The Township Committee and I want to personally thank everyone in our community who works tirelessly to make Mantua stronger, safer and better each year. Our volunteers, our employees, our schools, our public safety and emergency services, our business owners, our residents and even those who visit the great place we call home have created an impactful and lasting difference.
We will continue to work harder to become an even stronger, more connected, and more vibrant community for all who call Mantua home.
On behalf of the entire Township Committee and myself, we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership.
