Scotch Plains vs South Orange (Village), NJ
Property taxes, schools, NJ Transit pass and monthly cost for Scotch Plains and South Orange (Village), side by side with sources.
At a glance
Scotch Plains has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $15,818 a year, $6,902 less than $22,720 in South Orange (Village). Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.
The median single-family sale price is $960,000 in Scotch Plains and $1,130,000 in South Orange (Village), $170,000 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).
Peak commute is 48.4 minutes in Scotch Plains and 31 in South Orange (Village), 17.4 minutes shorter in South Orange (Village).
On the district results, Scotch Plains' district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.0% vs 93.2%), ELA (71.0% vs 70.4%) and math (63.0% vs 56.8%).
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
- Scotch PlainsNo NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Fanwood station in Fanwood Borough
- 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
- Scotch Plains$960,000199 sales
- South Orange (Village)$1,130,000141 sales
Median sale price, condo / townhouse
- Scotch Plains$577,50020 sales · fewer than 50 sales
- South Orange (Village)$455,25022 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Monthly mortgage
- Scotch Plains$5,234 / 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
- Scotch Plains$15,818 / year$5,478 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
- Scotch Plains71.0% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)70.4% Above NJ average
- NJ state53.0%
Meeting math standards
- Scotch Plains63.0% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)56.8% Above NJ average
- NJ state42.0%
4-year graduation rate
- Scotch Plains97.0% Above NJ average
- South Orange (Village)93.2% Above NJ average
- NJ state91.8%
Chronic absenteeism
- Scotch Plains7.5% Below NJ average
- South Orange (Village)8.1% Below NJ average
- NJ state14.4%
Student:teacher ratio
- Scotch Plains12:1
- South Orange (Village)12:1
- NJ state12:1
Commute
NJ Transit adult monthly pass to NY Penn
- Scotch PlainsNo NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Fanwood station in Fanwood Borough
- South Orange (Village)$255 / month
Peak commute time
- Scotch Plains48.4 min
- South Orange (Village)31 min
Full pages: Scotch Plains · South Orange (Village). Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.