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Cranford vs Metuchen, NJ

Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Cranford and Metuchen, side by side with sources.

At a glance

Cranford has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $13,729 a year, $90 less than $13,819 in Metuchen. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $808,000 in Metuchen and $832,500 in Cranford, $24,500 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), Cranford comes to $6,309 a month and Metuchen to $6,411, a gap of $102.

Peak commute is 43 minutes in Cranford and 41 in Metuchen, 2 minutes shorter in Metuchen; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $309 in Cranford and $408 in Metuchen, $99 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

Cranford$6,309 / monthMortgage $4,539 · Property tax $1,461 · NJ Transit pass $309 · on a $832,500 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.

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

Cranford$832,500160 sales
Metuchen$808,00043 sales · fewer than 50 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Cranford$360,00024 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Metuchen$520,00012 sales · fewer than 50 sales

Monthly mortgage

Cranford$4,539 / 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

Cranford$13,729 / year$3,389 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.

Sources: NJ Division of Taxation (Updated February 2026)

Schools

Meeting ELA standards

Cranford73.6% Above NJ average
Metuchen80.2% Above NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Cranford66.6% Above NJ average
Metuchen69.7% Above NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

Cranford97.5% Above NJ average
Metuchen95.5% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Cranford9.4% Below NJ average
Metuchen10.4% Below NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Cranford11:1
Metuchen12:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsCranford: Cranford Public School DistrictMetuchen: Metuchen Public 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

Cranford$309 / month
Metuchen$408 / month

Peak commute time

Cranford43 min
Metuchen41 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: Cranford · Metuchen. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.