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Montclair vs Summit, NJ

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

At a glance

Summit has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $19,701 a year, $2,788 less than $22,489 in Montclair. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $1,551,500 in Montclair and $1,750,000 in Summit, $198,500 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), Montclair comes to $11,507 a month and Summit to $12,054, a gap of $547.

Peak commute is 35 minutes in Montclair and 42 in Summit, 7 minutes shorter in Montclair; the NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $255 in Montclair and $362 in Summit, $107 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
  • Montclair$11,507 / monthMortgage $8,459 · Property tax $2,793 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $1,551,500 median single-family home
  • Summit$12,054 / monthMortgage $9,541 · Property tax $2,151 · NJ Transit pass $362 · on a $1,750,000 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

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Monthly mortgage

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

  • Montclair$22,489 / year$12,149 above the NJ average
  • Summit$19,701 / year$9,361 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

  • Montclair69.8% Above NJ average
  • Summit82.0% Above NJ average
  • NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

  • Montclair60.9% Above NJ average
  • Summit75.7% Above NJ average
  • NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

  • Montclair96.9% Above NJ average
  • Summit98.0% Above NJ average
  • NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

  • Montclair8.1% Below NJ average
  • Summit6.5% Below NJ average
  • NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

DistrictsMontclair: Montclair Public School DistrictSummit: Summit 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

Peak commute time

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

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