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Joel Katz

Survey Shows Dogs Just as Important as Kids

Author Joel Katz
Portrait of a Labrador Retriever puppy and mother resting in the boot of a car, taken on March 29, 2012. (Photo by Simon Lees/PhotoPlus Magazine/Future via Getty Images)

It’s no secret that we love to spoil our pets and treat them like human members of our family. They may not be human, but their most definitely family and not any less loved.

A new survey proves how much we treat them just as good or better than our kids. 80% of those surveyed say their dog’s health is as important to them as the health of their own children. That leaves 20% of those surveyed responding that their dog is not as important to them as their kids, which is surprising. I believe that perhaps people answered this way because saying that their love for a pet is the same as their love for a child is not something they want to admit.

The poll of 2,000 people was commissioned by the dog food company Ollie, and it also quizzed pet parents about other aspects of their relationships with their furry family members. Thirty-six percent admitted to using a journal or app to keep track of their dog’s behavior.

Sixty-nine percent of the respondents say they even have a proper “bedtime” declaration for their pup to make sure they get their beauty sleep; 37% say they set aside cuddle time for their dog before bed, and 34% say they even give their dogs a sleep supplement.

The average puppy parent knows when their dog is sad, primarily when they exhibit behavior that’s not consistent or not normal for them. The article says, “Your dog is uniquely yours; no one knows their quirks the way you do! This puts you, the pet parent, in an incomparable position to quickly identify changes in your pup’s normal behavior,” said Nicole Sumner, senior brand manager at Ollie. “These behavioral nuances could indicate something more serious.”

Sumner also says, “Every dog is different, and every day contains slight deviations from the structure dogs crave. Dogs need a healthy mealtime and exercise routine to feel their best.”

I’m sure the same holds true for cat owners as well.

If you’re looking to adopt a furry friend check out Karma Kat + Zen Dog Rescue Society.

These Are Some Of The Best Places To Live In Middlesex County

It wasn’t too long ago that New Jersey saw a massive increase in the price of homes. Real estate here in the garden state had become a massive bidding war for a number of reasons.

So with some of the consequences still being seen today finding the perfect forever home is more important than ever. With that in mind, you have to ask what are the best places to live here in Middlesex?

We looked at Niche a website that ranks towns based on a number of categories, both societal and financial. This includes data like school district rankings, crime, safety to even median household income. All to determine a letter grade for each town. Some people may find it hard to dive deep and research a town’s history and current data.

So luckily someone else did it for you and based on the data from Niche. These are the best places to live right here in Middlesex.

So whether you’re looking to move your family or start building one. You can know that the town you pick is backed by data. Of course, this shouldn’t be taken as a concrete fact. It’s more of a guide to helping you find a place to call home in New Jersey.

  • 15. Old Bridge (A)

    Starting off our list we head on over to Old Bridge a town with a lot to offer. Its public schools are highly rated and earn an A, just like its rating for families most of which own their homes.

    Though it does score about average in terms of housing, cost of living, and the town’s nightlife. With the median home value as about $377,400. Which is 100k over the national average.

  • 14. Iselin (A)

    Next up is Iselin which scores a bit higher in terms of Public schools, nightlife, and most importantly families. Their cost of living however is a bit lower than Old Bride, coming in with a C+.

    Another positive however is that Iselin is in the Top 100 for best places for young professionals here in New Jersey and the Median Household cost is about fifty grand lower than Old Bridge.

  • 13. North Brunswick (A)

    While North Brunswick has much more C’s and B’s than the prior entries. You have to consider they have almost double the population. Making them a much more diverse community. In fact, they are ranked as one of the most diverse places to live in New Jersey.

    Within a median household income thirty grand above the national average the only thing stopping North Brunswick from being an A+ is its housing costs and crime rating.

  • 12. Society Hill (A)

    Society Hill is a suburb within Piscataway and runs just as costly as Old Bridge but received a better Housing score and makes more based on median household income.

    It also ranked 60th in the best suburbs to buy a home in New Jersey. So overall, not a bad place to live if you’re looking to start a family and can afford it.

  • 11. Cranbury (A)

    Up next is Cranbury one of the oldest towns in New Jersey. According to the data they have some of the best schools in the state, as well as a median household income far above what we’ve seen so far. Though that’s against an insanely high median home value. It still ranks in the top ten for best places for families here in Middlesex.

  • 10. Edison (A+)

    Starting out the top ten is Edison. The town has a great night life, and the household income isn’t bad. Though the cost of living for houses and even more so for rent could be worked on. Despite that their public schools all make top marks. Making it a good place to live.

  • 9. East Brunswick (A+)

    East Brunswick has such a diverse and caring community making it into the top ten. While their crime rating is a bit higher and household costs are average, they do make up for it by having some of the best public schools in New Jersey according to the data. As well their households earn a bit more than prior entrants on the list.

  • 8. Dayton (A+)

    While Dayton may be overall eighth on this list it did score in the top five for places to raise a family in Middlesex county. It does a a majority of older residents, but overall an overwhelming majority of residents own their homes and the median household income is above average. Though according to the data the nightlight could be better.

  • 7. Heathcote (A+)

    While Heathcote is a bit more expensive than some of the other locations on this list, it’s because they score fairly high across the board, have some beautiful homes according to reviews and do well for outdoor activities making it an ideal spot for some families looking for a community to call home.

  • 6. Highland Park (A+)

    Highland park does fairly well across the board and they would be higher on this list if it weren’t for their housing and cost of living getting C’s. Though in a bit of a twist Highland park according to the data has more residents renting than owning. Something not really seen so far on the list. But it is still a nice and safe place to live all things considered.

  • 5. Kendall Park (A+)

    Kendall park ranked 11th in best places to buy a home in New Jersey and 9th for best suburbs to buy a house in New Jersey and for good reason they score A’s to A+’s on a majority of core topics. The homes run sometimes double the natational average, but the median household income meets it as well sitting at about 150k.

  • 4. Metuchen (A+)

    Homes run high in Metuchen, but you’re paying for quality according to the data. They scored a B in crime and safety, and pretty much all other categories received an an A- or higher. There’s also a lot to do in Metuchen from parks to restaurants to shopping so you’ll never have a dull moment. Rent is high unfortunately and the same goes for homes, despite that it is in the top 20 for places to live in the Garden State.

  • 3. Plainsboro (A+)

    Once again we see a town where the majority of residents rent versus owning. That may be partly due to the fact that about 40% of the residents are ages 25-44. However, you also gain some of the best public shcools in the state as Plainsboro center ranked 12th in New Jersey.

  • 2. Monmouth Junction (A+)

    Monmouth Junction is just shy of being the perfect place to live in Middlesex County as the core topics all received high rankings. Like the others before it a majority of owners own, but the renting percentage is high as well. It was ranked number one for suburbs to buy a house in New Jersey and 2nd for best place to buy a home in the state and suburb raise a family in New Jersey.

  • 1. Princeton Meadows (A+)

    Lastly we have our number one spot on the list, Princeton meadows is classified as an urban and suburban mix. It was ranked 5th for best places to live in the state and has some of the best schools as well. Renting is a majority for here, but with the median household income at about 112k buying a home isn’t impossible either.

 

 

 

 

Joel Katz is the Morning Show Personality, Assistant Program Director, Podcast Host, Voiceover artist, audio producer, and Digital Content Writer for Magic 98.3. Joel has been working in New Jersey radio since college and started at Magic in 2002 as the Morning Show Host, “I can’t think of another place where I’d fit more perfectly; it’s just a great company with awesome people.” Joel is married to Kathleen, his elementary school sweetheart (they were each other’s first dates at age 9), shares a birthday with his oldest son, Ty, and has twins, Kiera and Liam. Joel runs at least 3.1 miles every day and enjoys playing basketball, doing laundry, saving his turn signal for when he really needs it, kissing dogs through a fence, using coasters, making that cool noise by rubbing his fingers on balloons, and chasing after ping pong balls on a windy cruise ship.

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