Atlantic Highlands, NJ real estate: the numbers, explained.

Home values in Atlantic Highlands

Zillow Home Value Index (all homes, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted) for the Zillow region “Atlantic Highlands”, September 30 of each year. Source: Zillow Research.

Zillow’s Home Value Index for Atlantic Highlands was $873,486 as of September 30, 2026, up 9.3% from a year earlier and up 41% over five years. Over ten years the index rose 106.1%. ZHVI models a typical home value. It isn’t the price of any specific house.

The NJ Division of Taxation’s 2026 Average Residential Statistics show an average residential sale price of $950,667 across 12 sales used in that report. That is a small sample, so treat it as a rough marker. Averages can be pulled up or down by a few sales, which is one reason it can differ from Zillow’s index.

The Census Bureau’s survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes, as estimated by owners, at $628,100 (2020–2024 average), compared with a Monmouth County town median of $666,900.

Atlantic Highlands property taxes

Atlantic Highlands’s 2025 general tax rate was 1.53 per $100 of assessed value, and its effective tax rate was 1.538%, lower than the Monmouth County town median of 1.607% and lower than the statewide municipal median of 2.141%. That ranks it #25 lowest of 52 Monmouth County municipalities by effective rate. The average residential tax bill was $10,481 on an average assessment of $685,022 across 1,648 residential properties.

Applied to the typical home value of $873,486, the effective rate implies roughly $13,434 a year ($1,120 a month) in property tax. The Division publishes the effective rate for comparing towns, not for computing a specific bill, so use it as a ballpark.

What it costs to own vs. rent

For a $873,486 home with 20% down ($174,697) and a 30-year fixed loan at 7.18%, Freddie Mac’s national average for the week of November 5, 2026, principal and interest come to about $4,734 a month. With estimated property tax that’s about $5,853, before insurance, any HOA fee and utilities. For comparison, the Census median gross rent in Atlantic Highlands is $1,979 and Zillow’s observed rent index (asking rents, Sept. 2026) is $2,889.

Run my numbers for Atlantic HighlandsRent vs buy here

Who lives in Atlantic Highlands

About 4,410 people live in Atlantic Highlands. 70.7% of occupied homes are owner-occupied (county town median 72.3%). 58.8% of housing units are single-family detached houses. The median resident age is 47.9, and 53.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Median household income is $126,080, higher than the county town median of $121,908.

The median home in Atlantic Highlands was built in 1960. Much of the housing predates 1978, so buyers should plan for older-home checks: lead-based paint disclosure, an oil-tank sweep if the house ever had oil heat, knob-and-tube or older electrical, galvanized plumbing, and a sewer-line scope. See the NJ inspection checklist.

Commuting from Atlantic Highlands

Workers in Atlantic Highlands average 41.2 minutes each way (those who don’t work from home), longer than the Monmouth County town median of 32.0 minutes. 18.1% commute by public transportation, a high share that usually signals strong train or bus service toward Manhattan or Newark. Check NJ Transit schedules from the nearest station or stop and 26% work from home.

See all NJ towns ranked by transit commuting.

Schools

I don’t republish unofficial school scores. For Atlantic Highlands, start with the New Jersey Department of Education’s School Performance Reports, then confirm the exact school assignment for any address with the district, since some NJ towns send students to regional or neighboring high schools. See how to research NJ schools.

Downtown, food and things to do

The best way to judge Atlantic Highlands’s restaurants, parks and weekend life is in person. Visit on a weeknight and a Saturday morning, check the town recreation calendar and walk the blocks you’d live on. My town scouting checklist shows what to look for.

My take for buyers, sellers and renters

• Buyers: a below-county-median effective tax rate stretches your budget further here than in many Monmouth towns. Compare with the town comparison tool.
• Sellers: values are up 41% in five years, so many owners have significant equity. See your number in the seller net sheet.
• Low turnover: about 12 residential sales were in the state’s 2026 report, so good listings can be scarce. Set alerts and be ready to act.

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