New Jersey is ranked #1 for upward mobility. In a recent publication scoring all fifty states on factors including percentage of college degrees, number of foreign-born residents, average debt, average salary, life expectancy, and percentage of home ownership to determine which state offered the best opportunity for career advancement and success. These rankings scored New Jersey at the highest position in the country. This high score can be attributed to the state’s high achievements in education with over 43 percent of residents holding a college degree. New Jersey residents have a high rate of car ownership (917 cars for every 1,000 people), and a higher than national average salary of $76,321. The state also holds a high percentage of diversity among its residents, with 25 percent of people born in New Jersey coming from other nations.
We are pleased to serve a number of immigrant-owned businesses and individuals. This past year, several completed the citizenship process.
We remain concerned with the general impression and belief that immigrants achieve the American Dream at a higher rate that native-born citizens. Immigrants, especially their children, do tend to achieve classic markers of the American Dream (income mobility, business ownership) at higher rates than similarly situated native‑born Americans, but this is not universal and depends heavily on selection, location, and how success is defined.