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Denville vs Metuchen, NJ

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

At a glance

Denville has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $11,459 a year, $2,360 less than $13,819 in Metuchen. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $675,000 in Denville and $808,000 in Metuchen, $133,000 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), Denville comes to $5,307 a month and Metuchen to $6,411, a gap of $1,104.

Peak commute is 71 minutes in Denville and 41 in Metuchen, 30 minutes shorter in Metuchen; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $408 in Metuchen and $531 in Denville, $123 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

Denville$5,307 / monthMortgage $3,680 · Property tax $1,096 · NJ Transit pass $531 · on a $675,000 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

Denville$675,000161 sales
Metuchen$808,00043 sales · fewer than 50 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Denville$715,00065 sales
Metuchen$520,00012 sales · fewer than 50 sales

Monthly mortgage

Denville$3,680 / 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

Denville$11,459 / year$1,119 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

Denville78.5% Above NJ average
Metuchen80.2% Above NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Denville63.0% Above NJ average
Metuchen69.7% Above NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

DenvilleK-8 district; see high school
Metuchen95.5% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Denville9.0% Below NJ average
Metuchen10.4% Below NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Denville10:1
Metuchen12:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsDenville: Denville Township K-8 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

Denville$531 / month
Metuchen$408 / month

Peak commute time

Denville71 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: Denville · Metuchen. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.