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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
  • Insurance
  • NJ Transit pass
  • Berkeley Heights$7,157 / monthMortgage $5,179 · Property tax $1,441 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $408 · on a $950,000 median single-family home
  • Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$9,257 / monthMortgage $6,815 · Property tax $1,782 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $531 · on a $1,250,000 median single-family home
  • Bloomfield$5,018 / monthMortgage $3,417 · Property tax $1,249 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $223 · on a $626,750 median single-family home
More info

Same math as the monthly cost calculator, at its defaults: each town's headline median sale price, single-family unless the town's label says otherwise (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales), 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan at 7.24% (Freddie Mac weekly national average, week of Oct 29, 2026), the town's 2025 effective tax rate, homeowners insurance (condo insurance for condo towns), and the town's NJ Transit pass where it has one. Excludes flood insurance, PMI, HOA, utilities and maintenance. Change the numbers in the calculator.

Sources: GSMLS (As of 2025) · NJ Division of Taxation (Updated January 2026) · Freddie Mac PMMS (As of 2026-10-29) · NAIC Homeowners Report (Updated July 2026)

Home prices

Median sale price, single-family

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Monthly mortgage

More info

Principal & interest only; excludes taxes and insurance. Based on the single-family median unless a town's row says otherwise.

Source: GSMLS

Property taxes

Average residential tax bill, 2025

More info

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

More info

Not shown for Denville: K-8 district; see high school

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

More info

Not shown for Chatham Twp: No NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Chatham station in Chatham Borough

Not shown for Hoboken: Not on NJ Transit's rail-to-Penn fare chart; residents typically use PATH or the NY Waterway ferry (see fares)

Not shown for Jersey City: Not on NJ Transit's rail-to-Penn fare chart; residents typically use PATH or the NY Waterway ferry (see fares)

Not shown for Scotch Plains: No NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Fanwood station in Fanwood Borough

Peak commute time

  • Berkeley Heights58 min
    More info

    Typical from Berkeley Heights: 63.5 min, median trip time of the scheduled trips arriving 7:00-9:00 AM on Wed 2026-11-18 (one itinerary per departure; dominated options excluded). Based on 6 trips.

  • Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)75 min
    More info

    Typical from Basking Ridge: 80.5 min, median trip time of the scheduled trips arriving 7:00-9:00 AM on Wed 2026-11-18 (one itinerary per departure; dominated options excluded). Based on 6 trips.

  • Bloomfield27 min
    More info

    Typical from Watsessing Avenue: 29 min, median trip time of the scheduled trips arriving 7:00-9:00 AM on Wed 2026-11-18 (one itinerary per departure; dominated options excluded). Based on 3 trips.

PATH commute time

Ferry commute time

Sources: NJ Transit (Updated July 2026) · NJ Transit GTFS (via Mobility Database) (Scheduled service Nov 18, 2026) · Port Authority (PATH) (Effective Oct 13, 2026) · NY Waterway (Read Nov 1, 2026)

Ready-made comparisons

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

Find a local expert if you want help weighing these towns.

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