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Chatham Twp vs South Orange (Village), NJ

Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Chatham Twp and South Orange (Village), side by side with sources.

At a glance

Chatham Twp has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $18,373 a year, $4,347 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 $1,990,200 in Chatham Twp, $860,200 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).

Peak commute is 46 minutes in Chatham Twp and 31 in South Orange (Village), 15 minutes shorter in South Orange (Village).

On the district results, Chatham Twp's district is higher on 4-year graduation (96.5% vs 93.2%), ELA (74.8% vs 70.4%) and math (68.5% vs 56.8%).

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 TwpNo NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Chatham station in Chatham Borough
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.

Sources: GSMLS (As of 2025) · Freddie Mac PMMS (Updated October 2026) · NJ Division of Taxation (Updated January 2026) · NJ Transit (Updated July 2026)

Home prices

Median sale price, single-family

Chatham Twp$1,990,20096 sales
South Orange (Village)$1,130,000141 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Chatham Twp$465,00043 sales · fewer than 50 sales
South Orange (Village)$455,25022 sales · fewer than 50 sales

Monthly mortgage

Chatham Twp$10,851 / 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

Chatham Twp$18,373 / year$8,033 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.

Sources: NJ Division of Taxation (Updated February 2026)

Schools

Meeting ELA standards

Chatham Twp74.8% Above NJ average
South Orange (Village)70.4% Above NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Chatham Twp68.5% Above NJ average
South Orange (Village)56.8% Above NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

Chatham Twp96.5% Above NJ average
South Orange (Village)93.2% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Chatham Twp6.3% Below NJ average
South Orange (Village)8.1% Below NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Chatham Twp11:1
South Orange (Village)12:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsChatham Twp: School District of the ChathamsSouth Orange (Village): South Orange-Maplewood School DistrictDistrict-wide results for all students. The NJ state line is the statewide figure.

Sources: NJDOE (2024-25 school year, published May 2026)

Commute

NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn

Chatham TwpNo NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Chatham station in Chatham Borough
South Orange (Village)$255 / month

Peak commute time

Chatham Twp46 min
South Orange (Village)31 min

Sources: NJ Transit (Updated July 2026) · NJ Transit GTFS (via Mobility Database) (As of Scheduled service Wed 2026-11-18; rail feed service dates 2026-09-15 to 2027-03-13; downloaded 2026-11-01)

Full pages: Chatham Twp · South Orange (Village). Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.