Millburn (Short Hills) vs South Orange (Village), NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Millburn (Short Hills) and South Orange (Village), side by side with sources.
At a glance
South Orange (Village) has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $22,720 a year, $3,578 less than $26,298 in Millburn (Short Hills). Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
The median single-family sale price is $1,130,000 in South Orange (Village) and $2,031,500 in Millburn (Short Hills), $901,500 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), South Orange (Village) comes to $8,741 a month and Millburn (Short Hills) to $14,045, a gap of $5,304.
Peak commute is 34 minutes in Millburn (Short Hills) and 31 in South Orange (Village), 3 minutes shorter in South Orange (Village); the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $255 in South Orange (Village) and $309 in Millburn (Short Hills), $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
- Millburn (Short Hills)$14,045 / monthMortgage $11,076 · Property tax $2,660 · NJ Transit pass $309 · on a $2,031,500 median single-family home
- South Orange (Village)$8,741 / monthMortgage $6,161 · Property tax $2,325 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $1,130,000 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.
Home prices
Median sale price, single-family
- Millburn (Short Hills)$2,031,500200 sales
- South Orange (Village)$1,130,000141 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Millburn (Short Hills)$850,00015 sales · fewer than 50 sales
- South Orange (Village)$455,25022 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Millburn (Short Hills)$11,076 / month
- South Orange (Village)$6,161 / 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
- Millburn (Short Hills)$26,298 / year$15,958 above the NJ average
- South Orange (Village)$22,720 / year$12,380 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.
Schools
Meeting ELA standards
- Millburn (Short Hills)85.3% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)70.4% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Millburn (Short Hills)85.2% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)56.8% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Millburn (Short Hills)99.7% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)93.2% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Millburn (Short Hills)9.5% Below NJ average
- South Orange (Village)8.1% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Millburn (Short Hills)11:1
- South Orange (Village)12:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Millburn (Short Hills)$309 / month
- South Orange (Village)$255 / month
Peak commute time
- Millburn (Short Hills)34 min
- South Orange (Village)31 min
Full pages: Millburn (Short Hills) · South Orange (Village). Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.