[Photo: David Jones / Wikimedia Commons]

Elitist New Yorkers love to joke about New Jersey, but according to one new study, the Garden State may have one over Gotham: Commuters who live in Jersey City may be better off than people who live and work in Manhattan itself. Jersey City ranks as the most livable city in the U.S., according to a new study from NYC-based fintech company SmartAsset. The facts show that Jersey City residents may have the best of both worlds - access to high salaries across the river combined with a markedly lower cost of living.

Irvine, CA, and Plano, TX, which came in 2nd and 3rd, got positive lifts from such factors as population density, walkability, crime rates and annual income after housing.  California did really well, with 8 of the top 25 most livable cities. Unfortunately, Southern cities largely fall at the bottom of the list because there are virtually no cities there where you can get around on your own 2 feet. In the South, you need a car. Memphis comes in dead last for its high rates of both violent and property crime - and it didn't help that Memphis has a painfully high 13.4% unemployment rate.

Here are the top 5 cities.

1.  Jersey City , NJ
2.  Irvine, CA
3.  Plano, TX
4.  NY, NY
5.  Honolulu, HI

[Click Link for Complete Ranking.]