The Safest Communities at the Jersey Shore

The website Safewise has named the 50 safest communities in New Jersey. How did the Jersey Shore fare?

In order for a "community" or town to qualify, the population must be 15,000 or more.

SafeWise determined its rankings by combining 2011 FBI crime data with other factors such as unique safety initiatives and security programs, the company said in a release.

Here's how Monmouth and Ocean shaped up:

• 25. Manchester (Ocean)
• 28. Marlboro (Monmouth)
• 32. Manalapan (Monmouth)
• 38. Barnegat (Ocean)
• 45. Lakewood (Ocean)
• 47. Middletown (Monmouth)
• 50. Hazlet (Monmouth)

The complete top 50 looked like this:

1. Mahwah (Bergen)
2. Sparta (Sussex)
3. Warren (Somerset)
4. Washington (Morris)
5. Bernards (Somerset)
6. Dumont (Bergen)
7. Hopatcong (Sussex)
8. Bergenfield (Bergen)
9. Madison (Morris)
10. Plainsboro (Middlesex)
11. New Milford (Bergen)
12. Montgomery (Somerset)
13. Wyckoff (Bergen)
14. Monroe (Middlesex)
15. Ridgewood (Bergen)
16. Readington (Hunterdon)
17. Hopewell Township (Mercer)
18. Morris Township (Morris)
19. Hillsborough (Somerset)
20. Montville (Morris)
21. Randolph (Morris)
22. Raritan Township (Hunterdon)
23. Cliffside Park (Bergen)
24. Mount Olive (Morris)
25. Manchester (Ocean)
26. Fort Lee (Bergen)
27. Princeton (Mercer)
28. Marlboro (Monmouth)
29. East Windsor (Mercer)
30. Jefferson (Morris)
31. Palisades Park (Bergen)
32. Manalapan (Monmouth)
33. Scotch Plains (Union)
34. Cranford (Union)
35. Denville (Morris)
36. Westfield (Union)
37. Parsippany (Morris)
38. Barnegat (Ocean)
39. Pequannock (Morris)
40. Nutley (Essex)
41. South Brunswick (Middlesex)
42. Roxbury (Morris)
43. West Milford (Passaic)
44. Summit (Union)
45. Lakewood (Ocean)
46. Fair Lawn (Bergen)
47. Middletown (Monmouth)
48. Medford (Burlington)
49. Piscataway (Middlesex)
50. Hazlet (Monmouth)

Does anyone notice a trend with the towns that ranked at the top? Leave your comments below.