Madison vs Newark, NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Madison and Newark, side by side with sources.
At a glance
- Lower tax billNewark, $7,641 a year
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Newark has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $7,641 a year, $8,256 less than $15,897 in Madison. Newark is below the NJ average of $10,340 and Madison is above it.
- Median sale priceNewark $440,000 vs Madison $1,421,000
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The median single-family sale price is $440,000 in Newark and $1,421,000 in Madison, $981,000 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).
- Monthly cost estimateNewark $3,260 vs Madison $9,973
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On the site's monthly cost estimate (mortgage, property tax and NJ Transit pass, each on the town's median single-family sale price), Newark comes to $3,260 a month and Madison to $9,973, a gap of $6,713.
- Peak commuteMadison 51 min vs Newark 18 min
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Peak commute is 51 minutes in Madison and 18 minutes in Newark, 33 minutes shorter in Newark.
- NJ Transit passNewark $184 vs Madison $408
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The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $184 in Newark and $408 in Madison, $224 more.
- Higher school resultsMadison: 4-year graduation, ELA, math
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On the district results, Madison's district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.9% vs 90.0%), ELA (78.8% vs 34.3%) and math (70.0% vs 22.0%).
Figures are from the data file, version 2.4.2. 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
- 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
- Newark$3,260 / monthMortgage $2,399 · Property tax $676 · NJ Transit pass $184 · on a $440,000 median single-family home
More info
Each town uses its own headline median sale price, single-family unless the town's label says otherwise (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales), and its 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.
Home prices
Source: GSMLS, 2025 closed sales
Property taxes
Average residential tax bill, 2025
- Madison$15,897 / year$5,557 above the NJ average
- Newark$7,641 / year$2,699 below 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
- Madison51 min
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Typical from Madison: 57.5 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.
- Newark18 min
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Typical from Newark Penn Station: 20 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 19 trips.
Full pages: Madison · Newark. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.