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Berkeley Heights vs Chatham Boro, NJ

Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Berkeley Heights and Chatham Boro, side by side with sources.

At a glance

Berkeley Heights has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $14,154 a year, $2,806 less than $16,960 in Chatham Boro. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $950,000 in Berkeley Heights and $1,380,400 in Chatham Boro, $430,400 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).

On the site's monthly cost estimate (mortgage, property tax and NJ Transit pass, each on the town's median single-family sale price), Berkeley Heights comes to $7,028 a month and Chatham Boro to $9,659, a gap of $2,631.

Peak commute is 58 minutes in Berkeley Heights and 46 in Chatham Boro, 12 minutes shorter in Chatham Boro; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $376 in Chatham Boro and $408 in Berkeley Heights, $32 more.

Figures are from the data file, version 2.3.0. Estimates are labeled. Add a third town in the compare tool.

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
Chatham Boro$9,659 / monthMortgage $7,526 · Property tax $1,757 · NJ Transit pass $376 · on a $1,380,400 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

Berkeley Heights$950,000117 sales
Chatham Boro$1,380,40092 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Berkeley Heights$614,50026 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Chatham Boro$780,0005 sales · fewer than 50 sales

Monthly mortgage

Berkeley Heights$5,179 / month
Chatham Boro$7,526 / month

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

Berkeley Heights$14,154 / year$3,814 above the NJ average
Chatham Boro$16,960 / year$6,620 above the NJ average
NJ average$10,340 / yearState total, same series as the town bills

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

Berkeley Heights73.3% Above NJ average
Chatham Boro74.8% Above NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Berkeley Heights69.4% Above NJ average
Chatham Boro68.5% Above NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

Berkeley Heights97.3% Above NJ average
Chatham Boro96.5% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Berkeley Heights4.7% Below NJ average
Chatham Boro6.3% Below NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Berkeley Heights11:1
Chatham Boro11:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsBerkeley Heights: Berkeley Heights School DistrictChatham Boro: School District of the ChathamsDistrict-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

Berkeley Heights$408 / month
Chatham Boro$376 / month

Peak commute time

Berkeley Heights58 min
Chatham Boro46 min

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)

Full pages: Berkeley Heights · Chatham Boro. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.