Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) vs Princeton, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) and Princeton, side by side with sources.
At a glance
- Lower tax billBernards Twp (Basking Ridge), $14,715 a year
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Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $14,715 a year, $8,658 less than $23,373 in Princeton. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
- Peak commuteBernards Twp (Basking Ridge) 75 min vs Princeton 53 min
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Peak commute is 75 minutes in Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) and 53 minutes in Princeton, 22 minutes shorter in Princeton.
- NJ Transit passBernards Twp (Basking Ridge) $531 vs Princeton $549
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The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $531 in Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) and $549 in Princeton, $18 more.
- Higher school resultsBernards Twp (Basking Ridge): 4-year graduation, ELA, math
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On the district results, Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)'s district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.6% vs 92.8%), ELA (81.9% vs 76.9%) and math (79.6% vs 73.3%).
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
- 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
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.
Home prices
Median sale price, single-family
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$1,250,000165 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$503,000140 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$6,815 / month
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
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$14,715 / year$4,375 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
More info
Bills compare better than raw tax rates, because towns assess homes at different shares of market value.
Schools
Meeting ELA standards
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)81.9% Above NJ average
- Princeton76.9% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)79.6% Above NJ average
- Princeton73.3% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)97.6% Above NJ average
- Princeton92.8% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)6.4% Below NJ average
- Princeton8.2% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)11:1
- Princeton11:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$531 / month
- Princeton$549 / month
Peak commute time
- 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.
- 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: Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) · Princeton. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.