New Jersey’s Ranking Among the Smartest States

You think you’re pretty smart? Many people do, especially the ones who say they don’t like stupid people. Interestingly, my experience is the ones who say that seem to be unknowingly talking about themselves.

It comes down to the Intelligence Quotient. The higher the score, the higher you are. The equation that is used to calculate a person's IQ score is Mental Age / Chronological Age x 100. On most modern IQ tests, the average score will be 100. Those with a score between 120 and 140 are considered gifted or superintelligent. Anyone who scores above 140 is a genius. Albert Einstein’s IQ was 160.

It would be nice to be able to brag that New Jersey is the smartest state, but we’re not. However, we rank rather high on the list.

To find out which is the smartest state in America the people at the web platform Freename did some research to find out the answer, and considered twenty-nine different factors for the rankings.

Their study found that Massachusetts has the highest score when it comes to intelligence. They have both the highest average IQ in the survey and the highest proportion of people with either a graduate or a bachelor's degree.

Connecticut comes in second, with Washington, Vermont, and Virginia rounding out the top five.

Then comes New Jersey at number six, which is not bad considering how many states there are. New Jersey is followed by New Hampshire, Maryland, Colorado, and Minnesota, finishing out the top ten.

If you're struck by how many of the smartest folks seem to be in the Northeast, there may be a reason for that.

Freename CEO Davide Vicini says, “Education in America varies widely from state to state, creating a landscape where some regions consistently outperform others in academic achievement and resources. States often ranked as the smartest benefit from a combination of well-funded school systems, highly qualified teachers, and a strong emphasis on higher education access. These states tend to have higher graduation rates, standardized test scores, and college enrollment numbers."

It's only mid-November, but if you're anything like me, you're already starting to get into the holiday spirit. And even if you're not, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, so it can't be put off too much longer. Soon it will be time to bake cookies and hang the stockings with care. But if you're looking for festive events that'll get you out of the house and spending time with your family sometime soon, look no further than local Christmas tree lightings. They're wonderful events that signal the start of the holiday season.

Here in Ocean County, there are a bunch of towns that are having tree lighting this year, so you won't have to go far. I've done the hard work of researching for you, so all you have to do is scroll down and find the one closest to you! Plus, there's a couple on the list where you might just spot our, or our sister station WJRZ's, promo team. If you decide to stop by any of the tree lighting on the list, take pictures and tag us on social media! We'd love to see you getting into the Christmas spirit!

Downtown Toms River will be having their tree lighting on December 6th from 5-7pm in the courtyard of Town Hall. Santa will be there and hot cocoa and cookies will be for sale!

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners will be holding a tree lighting on December 4th at 4:45pm on the West Lawn of the County Administration Building on Hooper Ave. Music will be provided by the Pine Beach Elementary School Chorus and there will be cookies and juice after the tree is lit.

Pine Beach will be having their annual tree lighting on December 1st at the Pine Beach Borough Hall. If you'd like to be apart of the wreath making activity, you need to make reservations ahead of time and it begins at 2pm. Otherwise, the festivities start at 3:45 with face painting, craft making, and hot cocoa & snacks. The tree will be lit at 4:30pm and Santa might just be there

Ship Bottom will be having their tree lighting this year on November 30th from 5-7pm at the 10th & Shore Ave Municipal Boat Ramp. There will also be hot chocolate and s'mores by the fire!

Point Pleasant Beach will be having a tree lighting on November 29th from 5:30 to 8pm at 601 Arnold Ave. There will be a DJ, horse & carriage rides, refreshments, and children's activities. Plus, you can get your photo taken with Santa!

Barnegat Township will be holding it's 4th Annual Holiday Farmer's and Pop-Up Craft Market on December 7th from 12-6pm at Fred Watts Gazebo Park. There will be holiday crafters, carolers, Santa, and the event will culminate with the town's tree lighting at 6pm.

The New Egypt Flea Market will be holding a tree lighting and shopping event on December 6th from 5-9pm. There will be tons of vendors and food trucks. Plus, it's pet friendly! The tree lighting will begin at 7:30pm sharp.