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Madison vs Montclair, NJ

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

At a glance

Madison has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $15,897 a year, $6,592 less than $22,489 in Montclair. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $1,421,000 in Madison and $1,551,500 in Montclair, $130,500 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), Madison comes to $9,973 a month and Montclair to $11,507, a gap of $1,534.

Peak commute is 51 minutes in Madison and 35 in Montclair, 16 minutes shorter in Montclair; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $255 in Montclair and $408 in Madison, $153 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

Madison$9,973 / monthMortgage $7,747 · Property tax $1,818 · NJ Transit pass $408 · on a $1,421,000 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

Madison$1,421,000105 sales
Montclair$1,551,500246 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Madison$810,00023 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Montclair$525,00069 sales

Monthly mortgage

Madison$7,747 / 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

Madison$15,897 / year$5,557 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

Madison78.8% Above NJ average
Montclair69.8% Above NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Madison70.0% Above NJ average
Montclair60.9% Above NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

Madison97.9% Above NJ average
Montclair96.9% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Madison9.2% Below NJ average
Montclair8.1% Below NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Madison11:1
Montclair11:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsMadison: Madison 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

Madison$408 / month
Montclair$255 / month

Peak commute time

Madison51 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: Madison · Montclair. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.