Clifton was named one of the best places to live in the country. Here's why

Move over, New York City. Clifton is named among the best places to live in the country by Livability.com on its 10th annual list of the top 100.

Not only did the city make the ranking, but it took 12th place, ahead of thousands of other considered municipalities.

Livability's selection process is a point system based on eight categories that add up to an overall score. The company's algorithm weighs the categories against one another to determine how many points should be awarded to a given city. Amenities and economy carried the most weight this year, followed by education.

These percentage weights are developed from countrywide surveys and current events that would give one category more importance. Livability also limits the list to populations of 75,000 to 500,000 and cities with median home values of less than $500,000.

"Our Top 100 Best Places to Live celebrates places where you can still live a little after covering the costs of essentials like housing and transportation," said Amanda Ellis, Livability.com editor in chief, "where middle-income earners have a good shot at owning a home and where you can live the life and career you want."

Clifton had high scores in amenities, education and economy, with a total LivScore of 831 out of 1,000. Housing earned the fewest points, at 33 out of 100. The city's proximity to New York while featuring Passaic County's scenic nature reserves gives it an edge over other regions.

Livability highlights some of Clifton's local amenities, including the Clifton Arts Center and Brighton Asylum (technically right over the border in Passaic), said to be the scariest haunted house in New Jersey. Visitors looking to grab a bite should head to Rutt's Hut, Hot Grill or Sharky's, recommended as ideal date or happy-hour spots. It's no wonder this city is second-best in the amenities category.

New Jersey routinely performs well in education, and Clifton is no different. With a score of 86, Clifton ranked third among the top 100 cities for education. This is accompanied by a relatively low cost of living.

The Garden State was featured only twice on the list, with the other choice being Jersey City, but it took the top two spots in the amenities category. Another notable New Jersey quality, livability, points out Clifton's culturally diverse population.