Avoid NJ. The Shore is nice but we are paying about $10,400/ year in property taxes alone. State income taxes are about another 4% of the gross.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LoanPalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Ask about car insurance as well. We live in southern NJ. Salem County has lovely country areas and the property taxes are very reasonable. But auto insurance is extremely high in NJ with just a few carriers to choose from.
So I would recommend checking auto insurance rates as well. Good luck !