A new Monmouth University poll suggests that while Garden State residents are pretty happy with the neighborhoods where they live, they're not as pleased with the state as a whole.

(Siri Stafford, ThinkStock)
(Siri Stafford, ThinkStock)
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The recent survey, which tracks residents’ satisfaction with life in New Jersey, finds that "positive opinion of the state as a place to live stands at a 35-year low of 55 percent," according to a press release issued by the university's polling institute. As a result of this latest poll. the overall "Garden State Quality of Life Index" has dropped.

“The state rating has really dragged down the Quality of Life Index here in New Jersey, which includes state ratings and local ratings," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

He said many people surveyed have an overall positive outlook about the state.

“When find that a majority of New Jerseyans give a positive rating to the state. Twelve percent say it’s ‘excellent’ and 43 percent say it’s a good place to call home. While this may sound good it’s actually a record low. We haven’t seen numbers this low in over 35 years of polling here in New Jersey,” Murray said. “Overall, we found that 55 of New Jerseyans have a positive opinion of their state as a place to live while 45 percent have a negative one.”

Below is a list of how New Jerseyans rate different elements of their state, according to the Monmouth University poll.

Kevin McArdle contributed to this report.

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    (Michael Shake, ThinkStock)
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    1

    Hometown

    The Monmouth University poll shows only a very slight drop in how New Jerseyans evaluate their hometowns. Specifically, 71 percent of residents were happy with their hometown, compared to 72 percent in February.

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    AVAVA, ThinkStock
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    2

    Local public schools

    According to the poll, 60 percent of those surveyed had a positive view of their local public schools, compared to 61 percent earlier this year.

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    (Jupiterimages, ThinkStock)
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    3

    The environment

    The poll also shows that of those surveyed, 71 percent have a positive view of the environmental quality where they lived, compared with 72 percent in February.

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    (Wavebreakmedia Ltd, ThinkStock)
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    4

    Neighborhood safety

    According to the Monmouth university poll, 67 percent of Garden State residents say they feel very safe in their own neighborhood at night. This represents an increase from earlier this year when 62 percent said they felt safe at home.

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