Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) vs South Orange (Village), NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) and South Orange (Village), side by side with sources.
At a glance
Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $14,715 a year, $8,005 less than $22,720 in South Orange (Village). Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
The median single-family sale price is $1,130,000 in South Orange (Village) and $1,250,000 in Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge), $120,000 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), South Orange (Village) comes to $8,741 a month and Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) to $9,128, a gap of $387.
Peak commute is 75 minutes in Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) and 31 in South Orange (Village), 44 minutes shorter in South Orange (Village); the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $255 in South Orange (Village) and $531 in Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge), $276 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
- 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
- South Orange (Village)$8,741 / monthMortgage $6,161 · Property tax $2,325 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $1,130,000 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.
Home prices
Median sale price, single-family
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$1,250,000165 sales
- South Orange (Village)$1,130,000141 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$503,000140 sales
- South Orange (Village)$455,25022 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$6,815 / month
- South Orange (Village)$6,161 / 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
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$14,715 / year$4,375 above the NJ average
- South Orange (Village)$22,720 / year$12,380 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.
Schools
Meeting ELA standards
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)81.9% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)70.4% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)79.6% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)56.8% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)97.6% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)93.2% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)6.4% Below NJ average
- South Orange (Village)8.1% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)11:1
- South Orange (Village)12:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge)$531 / month
- South Orange (Village)$255 / month
Peak commute time
Full pages: Bernards Twp (Basking Ridge) · South Orange (Village). Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.