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Newark vs Union Twp, NJ

Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Newark and Union Twp, side by side with sources.

At a glance

  • Lower tax billNewark, $7,641 a year
    More info

    Newark has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $7,641 a year, $3,208 less than $10,849 in Union Twp. Newark is below the NJ average of $10,340 and Union Twp is above it.

  • Median sale priceNewark $440,000 vs Union Twp $597,500
    More info

    The median single-family sale price is $440,000 in Newark and $597,500 in Union Twp, $157,500 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).

  • Monthly cost estimateNewark $3,260 vs Union Twp $4,643
    More info

    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 Union Twp to $4,643, a gap of $1,383.

  • Peak commuteNewark 18 min vs Union Twp 36 min
    More info

    Peak commute is 18 minutes in Newark and 36 minutes in Union Twp, 18 minutes shorter in Newark.

  • NJ Transit passNewark $184 vs Union Twp $255
    More info

    The NJ Transit monthly pass to NY Penn is $184 in Newark and $255 in Union Twp, $71 more.

  • Higher school resultsUnion Twp: 4-year graduation, ELA, math
    More info

    On the district results, Union Twp's district is higher on 4-year graduation (95.1% vs 90.0%), ELA (47.9% vs 34.3%) and math (29.9% 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
  • Newark$3,260 / monthMortgage $2,399 · Property tax $676 · NJ Transit pass $184 · on a $440,000 median single-family home
  • Union Twp$4,643 / monthMortgage $3,258 · Property tax $1,130 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $597,500 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.

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

More info

Principal & interest only; excludes taxes and insurance. Based on the single-family median unless a town's row says otherwise.

Source: GSMLS, 2025 closed sales

Property taxes

Average residential tax bill, 2025

  • Newark$7,641 / year$2,699 below the NJ average
  • Union Twp$10,849 / year$509 above the NJ average
  • NJ average$10,340 / yearState total, same series as the town bills
More info

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

  • Newark34.3% Below NJ average
  • Union Twp47.9% Below NJ average
  • NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

  • Newark22.0% Below NJ average
  • Union Twp29.9% Below NJ average
  • NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

  • Newark90.0% Below NJ average
  • Union Twp95.1% Above NJ average
  • NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

  • Newark10.0% Below NJ average
  • Union Twp17.5% Above NJ average
  • NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

DistrictsNewark: Newark Public School DistrictUnion Twp: Township of Union 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

  • Newark18 min
    More info

    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.

  • Union Twp36 min
    More info

    Typical from Union: 38 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.

Sources: NJ Transit (Updated July 2026) · NJ Transit GTFS (via Mobility Database) (Scheduled service Nov 18, 2026)

Full pages: Newark · Union Twp. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.

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