Berkeley Heights vs Princeton, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Berkeley Heights and Princeton, side by side with sources.
At a glance
- Lower tax billBerkeley Heights, $14,154 a year
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Berkeley Heights has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $14,154 a year, $9,219 less than $23,373 in Princeton. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
- Peak commuteBerkeley Heights 58 min vs Princeton 53 min
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Peak commute is 58 minutes in Berkeley Heights and 53 minutes in Princeton, 5 minutes shorter in Princeton.
- NJ Transit passBerkeley Heights $408 vs Princeton $549
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The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $408 in Berkeley Heights and $549 in Princeton, $141 more.
- Higher school resultsBerkeley Heights: 4-year graduation; Princeton: ELA, math
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On the district results, Berkeley Heights' district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.3% vs 92.8%); Princeton's district is higher on ELA (76.9% vs 73.3%) and math (73.3% vs 69.4%).
Figures are from the data file, version 2.5.3. Estimates are labeled. Sources and dates are in each section below. Add a third town in the compare tool.
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
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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.
Home prices
Median sale price, single-family
- Berkeley Heights$950,000117 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Berkeley Heights$614,50026 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Berkeley Heights$5,179 / month
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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
- Berkeley Heights$14,154 / year$3,814 above the NJ average
- Princeton$23,373 / year$13,033 above the NJ average
- NJ average$10,340 / yearState total, same series as the town bills
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Bills compare better than raw tax rates, because towns assess homes at different shares of market value.
Schools
Meeting ELA standards
- Berkeley Heights73.3% Above NJ average
- Princeton76.9% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Berkeley Heights69.4% Above NJ average
- Princeton73.3% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Berkeley Heights97.3% Above NJ average
- Princeton92.8% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Berkeley Heights4.7% Below NJ average
- Princeton8.2% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Berkeley Heights11:1
- Princeton11:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Berkeley Heights$408 / month
- Princeton$549 / month
Peak commute time
- Berkeley Heights58 min
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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.
- Princeton53 min
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Typical from Princeton Junction: 56.5 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.
Full pages: Berkeley Heights · Princeton. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.