Elizabeth vs Fair Lawn, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Elizabeth and Fair Lawn, side by side with sources.
At a glance
- Lower tax billElizabeth, $9,727 a year
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Elizabeth has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $9,727 a year, $2,691 less than $12,418 in Fair Lawn. Elizabeth is below the NJ average of $10,340 and Fair Lawn is above it.
- Median sale priceElizabeth $550,000 vs Fair Lawn $690,000
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The median single-family sale price is $550,000 in Elizabeth and $690,000 in Fair Lawn, $140,000 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).
- Monthly cost estimateElizabeth $4,351 vs Fair Lawn $5,433
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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), Elizabeth comes to $4,351 a month and Fair Lawn to $5,433, a gap of $1,082.
- Peak commuteElizabeth 29 min vs Fair Lawn 39 min
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Peak commute is 29 minutes in Elizabeth and 39 minutes in Fair Lawn, 10 minutes shorter in Elizabeth.
- NJ Transit passElizabeth $255 vs Fair Lawn $276
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The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $255 in Elizabeth and $276 in Fair Lawn, $21 more.
- Higher school resultsFair Lawn: 4-year graduation, ELA, math
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On the district results, Fair Lawn's district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.2% vs 88.4%), ELA (76.6% vs 46.7%) and math (69.6% vs 28.4%).
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
- Elizabeth$4,351 / monthMortgage $2,999 · Property tax $968 · Insurance $129 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $550,000 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
- Elizabeth$9,727 / year$613 below 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
- Elizabeth29 min
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Typical from North Elizabeth: 32 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 4 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: Elizabeth · Fair Lawn. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.