New Jersey residents are less satisfied with their quality of life now than they were about a year ago, when schools and businesses were shut down because of the pandemic, and a lower percentage of residents today, versus April 2020, call New Jersey an excellent or good place to live. Get our free mobile app That's actually good news, according to the folks who've been tracking residents' responses for years. "I think the most positive thing we see here is a return to normal," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "During crisis situations, we tend to see rally effects."