Chatham Boro vs Metuchen, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Chatham Boro and Metuchen, side by side with sources.
At a glance
Metuchen has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $13,819 a year, $3,141 less than $16,960 in Chatham Boro. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
The median single-family sale price is $808,000 in Metuchen and $1,380,400 in Chatham Boro, $572,400 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), Metuchen comes to $6,411 a month and Chatham Boro to $9,659, a gap of $3,248.
Peak commute is 46 minutes in Chatham Boro and 41 in Metuchen, 5 minutes shorter in Metuchen; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $376 in Chatham Boro and $408 in Metuchen, $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
- Chatham Boro$9,659 / monthMortgage $7,526 · Property tax $1,757 · NJ Transit pass $376 · on a $1,380,400 median single-family home
- Metuchen$6,411 / monthMortgage $4,405 · Property tax $1,598 · NJ Transit pass $408 · on a $808,000 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
- Chatham Boro$1,380,40092 sales
- Metuchen$808,00043 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Chatham Boro$780,0005 sales · fewer than 50 sales
- Metuchen$520,00012 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Chatham Boro$7,526 / month
- Metuchen$4,405 / 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
- Chatham Boro$16,960 / year$6,620 above the NJ average
- Metuchen$13,819 / year$3,479 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
- Chatham Boro74.8% Above NJ average
- Metuchen80.2% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Chatham Boro68.5% Above NJ average
- Metuchen69.7% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Chatham Boro96.5% Above NJ average
- Metuchen95.5% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Chatham Boro6.3% Below NJ average
- Metuchen10.4% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Chatham Boro11:1
- Metuchen12:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Chatham Boro$376 / month
- Metuchen$408 / month
Peak commute time
- Chatham Boro46 min
- Metuchen41 min
Full pages: Chatham Boro · Metuchen. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.