Cranford vs Fair Lawn, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Cranford and Fair Lawn, side by side with sources.
At a glance
- Lower tax billFair Lawn, $12,418 a year
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Fair Lawn has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $12,418 a year, $1,311 less than $13,729 in Cranford. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
- Median sale priceFair Lawn $690,000 vs Cranford $832,500
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The median single-family sale price is $690,000 in Fair Lawn and $832,500 in Cranford, $142,500 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).
- Monthly cost estimateFair Lawn $5,433 vs Cranford $6,438
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On the site's monthly cost estimate (mortgage, property tax, insurance and NJ Transit pass, each on the town's headline median sale price, the same math as the calculator), Fair Lawn comes to $5,433 a month and Cranford to $6,438, a gap of $1,005.
- Peak commuteCranford 43 min vs Fair Lawn 39 min
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Peak commute is 43 minutes in Cranford and 39 minutes in Fair Lawn, 4 minutes shorter in Fair Lawn.
- NJ Transit passFair Lawn $276 vs Cranford $309
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The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $276 in Fair Lawn and $309 in Cranford, $33 more.
- Higher school resultsCranford: 4-year graduation; Fair Lawn: ELA, math
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On the district results, Cranford's district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.5% vs 97.2%); Fair Lawn's district is higher on ELA (76.6% vs 73.6%) and math (69.6% vs 66.6%).
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
- Cranford$6,438 / monthMortgage $4,539 · Property tax $1,461 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $309 · on a $832,500 median single-family home
- Fair Lawn$5,433 / monthMortgage $3,762 · Property tax $1,266 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $276 · on a $690,000 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.
Property taxes
Average residential tax bill, 2025
- Cranford$13,729 / year$3,389 above the NJ average
- Fair Lawn$12,418 / year$2,078 above the NJ average
- NJ average$10,340 / yearState total, same series as the town bills
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Bills compare better than raw tax rates, because towns assess homes at different shares of market value.
Schools
Commute
Peak commute time
- Cranford43 min
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Typical from Cranford: 46 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 5 trips.
- Fair Lawn39 min
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Typical from Radburn: 48 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: Cranford · Fair Lawn. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.