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Cranford vs Montclair, NJ

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

At a glance

Cranford has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $13,729 a year, $8,760 less than $22,489 in Montclair. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $832,500 in Cranford and $1,551,500 in Montclair, $719,000 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 Montclair to $11,507, a gap of $5,198.

Peak commute is 43 minutes in Cranford and 35 in Montclair, 8 minutes shorter in Montclair; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $255 in Montclair and $309 in Cranford, $54 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
Montclair$11,507 / monthMortgage $8,459 · Property tax $2,793 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $1,551,500 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
Montclair$1,551,500246 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Cranford$360,00024 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Montclair$525,00069 sales

Monthly mortgage

Cranford$4,539 / month
Montclair$8,459 / 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
Montclair$22,489 / year$12,149 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
Montclair69.8% Above NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Cranford66.6% Above NJ average
Montclair60.9% Above NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

Cranford97.5% Above NJ average
Montclair96.9% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Cranford9.4% Below NJ average
Montclair8.1% Below NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Cranford11:1
Montclair11:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsCranford: Cranford Public School DistrictMontclair: Montclair 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
Montclair$255 / month

Peak commute time

Cranford43 min
Montclair35 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 · Montclair. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.