Getting older and getting out of NJ

If you are in your pre-retirement years and considering a move out of New Jersey, you have plenty of company.

AARP is out with a new survey that further underscores New Jersey being a less than desirable place to retire due to the crushing cost of living and highest in the nation property taxes.

Close to half of all voters aged 50-plus have contemplated leaving and 83% of those say they are likely to do so.

Taken in raw numbers, that amounts to about 900,000 residents, or close to 10% of the state's entire population.

All of the top reasons given deal with affordability in New Jersey.

38% of the older voters surveyed by AARP said property taxes were the biggest financial strain on a monthly basis, followed by utilities, groceries and health insurance.

There were few differences when the survey was broken into political affiliation.

Slightly less Democrats (71%) than Republicans (83%) believed they already pay more than their "fair share" of taxes.

AARP is using the survey data to again implore Gov. Phil Murphy and the legislature to enact policies that will make New Jersey more affordable for pre-retirees and retirees.

Among the changes they suggest for reducing the financial burden of property taxes include changing the New Jersey Senior Freeze Program to a credit, expanding eligibility requirements for the Homestead Benefit, and creating a Circuit Breaker property tax relief program.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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