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Compare towns

Pick two or three towns for taxes, schools, commute and monthly cost side by side. Every number is sourced and dated; a metric appears only where we have data.

Pick 2 or 3 towns

Comparing Berkeley Heights, Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) and Bloomfield.

Monthly cost

Estimated monthly cost Estimate

  • Mortgage (principal and interest)
  • Property tax
  • NJ Transit pass
  • Berkeley Heights$7,028 / monthMortgage $5,179 · Property tax $1,441 · NJ Transit pass $408 · on a $950,000 median single-family home
  • Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$9,128 / monthMortgage $6,815 · Property tax $1,782 · NJ Transit pass $531 · on a $1,250,000 median single-family home
  • Bloomfield$4,889 / monthMortgage $3,417 · Property tax $1,249 · NJ Transit pass $223 · on a $626,750 median single-family home

Each town uses its own median single-family sale price (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales) and 2025 effective tax rate. Mortgage is the monthly mortgage in the data: Principal & interest only; excludes taxes and insurance. Calculated at a 7.24% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down, 30-year term. Excludes insurance, utilities, maintenance and HOA fees. Change the numbers in the calculator.

Sources: GSMLS (As of 2025) · Freddie Mac PMMS (Updated October 2026) · NJ Division of Taxation (Updated January 2026) · NJ Transit (Updated July 2026)

Home prices

Median sale price, single-family

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Monthly mortgage

Principal & interest only; excludes taxes and insurance. Based on the single-family median.

Source: GSMLS, 2025 closed sales

Property taxes

Average residential tax bill, 2025

Bills compare better than raw tax rates, because towns assess homes at different shares of market value.

Sources: NJ Division of Taxation (Updated February 2026)

Schools

Meeting ELA standards

Meeting math standards

4-year graduation rate

Chronic absenteeism

DistrictsBerkeley Heights: Berkeley Heights School DistrictBernards Twp (Basking Ridge): Bernards Township School DistrictBloomfield: Bloomfield Township School DistrictDistrict-wide results for all students. The NJ state line is the statewide figure.

Sources: NJDOE (2024-25 school year, published May 2026)

Commute

NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn

Sources: NJ Transit (Updated July 2026) · NJ Transit GTFS (via Mobility Database) (As of Scheduled service Wed 2026-11-18; rail feed service dates 2026-09-15 to 2027-03-13; downloaded 2026-11-01 / As of Scheduled service Wed 2026-11-18; bus feed service dates 2026-10-20 to 2027-04-17; downloaded 2026-11-01; rail: Scheduled service Wed 2026-11-18; rail feed service dates 2026-09-15 to 2027-03-13; downloaded 2026-11-01 / As of Scheduled service Wed 2026-11-18; bus feed service dates 2026-10-20 to 2027-04-17; downloaded 2026-11-01)

Ready-made comparisons

One page for each pair of towns, with a short written summary.

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