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Scotch Plains vs Union Twp, NJ

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

At a glance

Union Twp has the lower 2025 average residential tax bill: $10,849 a year, $4,969 less than $15,818 in Scotch Plains. Both are above the NJ average of $10,340.

The median single-family sale price is $597,500 in Union Twp and $960,000 in Scotch Plains, $362,500 more (GSMLS, 2025 closed sales).

Peak commute is 48.4 minutes in Scotch Plains and 36 in Union Twp, 12.4 minutes shorter in Union Twp.

On the district results, Scotch Plains' district is higher on 4-year graduation (97.0% vs 95.1%), ELA (71.0% vs 47.9%) and math (63.0% vs 29.9%).

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
Union Twp$4,643 / monthMortgage $3,258 · Property tax $1,130 · NJ Transit pass $255 · on a $597,500 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

Scotch Plains$960,000199 sales
Union Twp$597,500354 sales

Median sale price, condo / townhouse

Scotch Plains$577,50020 sales · fewer than 50 sales
Union Twp$380,00052 sales

Monthly mortgage

Scotch Plains$5,234 / month
Union Twp$3,258 / 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
Union Twp$10,849 / year$509 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

Scotch Plains71.0% Above NJ average
Union Twp47.9% Below NJ average
NJ state53.0%

Meeting math standards

Scotch Plains63.0% Above NJ average
Union Twp29.9% Below NJ average
NJ state42.0%

4-year graduation rate

Scotch Plains97.0% Above NJ average
Union Twp95.1% Above NJ average
NJ state91.8%

Chronic absenteeism

Scotch Plains7.5% Below NJ average
Union Twp17.5% Above NJ average
NJ state14.4%

Student:teacher ratio

Scotch Plains12:1
Union Twp13:1
NJ state12:1

DistrictsScotch Plains: Scotch Plains-Fanwood 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

Scotch PlainsNo NJ Transit rail station in town; residents typically use Fanwood station in Fanwood Borough
Union Twp$255 / month

Peak commute time

Scotch Plains48.4 min
Union Twp36 min

Sources: NJ Transit (Updated July 2026) · NJ Transit GTFS (via Mobility Database) (As of Scheduled service Wed 2026-11-18; bus feed service dates 2026-10-20 to 2027-04-17; downloaded 2026-11-01 / 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: Scotch Plains · Union Twp. Find a local expert if you want help weighing these two towns.