Chatham Boro vs Princeton, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Chatham Boro and Princeton, side by side with sources.
At a glance
- Lower tax billChatham Boro, $16,960 a year
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Chatham Boro has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $16,960 a year, $6,413 less than $23,373 in Princeton. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
- Peak commuteChatham Boro 46 min vs Princeton 53 min
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Peak commute is 46 minutes in Chatham Boro and 53 minutes in Princeton, 7 minutes shorter in Chatham Boro.
- NJ Transit passChatham Boro $376 vs Princeton $549
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The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $376 in Chatham Boro and $549 in Princeton, $173 more.
- Higher school resultsChatham Boro: 4-year graduation; Princeton: ELA, math
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On the district results, Chatham Boro's district is higher on 4-year graduation (96.5% vs 92.8%); Princeton's district is higher on ELA (76.9% vs 74.8%) and math (73.3% vs 68.5%).
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
- Chatham Boro$9,788 / monthMortgage $7,526 · Property tax $1,757 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $376 · on a $1,380,400 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
- Chatham Boro$1,380,40092 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Chatham Boro$780,0005 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Chatham Boro$7,526 / 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
- Chatham Boro$16,960 / year$6,620 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
- Chatham Boro74.8% Above NJ average
- Princeton76.9% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Chatham Boro68.5% Above NJ average
- Princeton73.3% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Chatham Boro96.5% Above NJ average
- Princeton92.8% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Chatham Boro6.3% Below NJ average
- Princeton8.2% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Chatham Boro11:1
- Princeton11:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Chatham Boro$376 / month
- Princeton$549 / month
Peak commute time
- Chatham Boro46 min
More info
Typical from Chatham: 53 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
More info
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: Chatham Boro · Princeton. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.