Livingston, NJ real estate: the numbers, explained.

Home values in Livingston

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

Zillow’s Home Value Index for Livingston was $1,093,692 as of September 30, 2026, up 5.7% from a year earlier and up 39.2% over five years. Over ten years the index rose 66.9%. 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 $1,243,907 across 238 sales used in that report. 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 $821,100 (2020–2024 average), compared with a Essex County town median of $646,550.

Livingston property taxes

Livingston’s 2025 general tax rate was 2.531 per $100 of assessed value, and its effective tax rate was 1.882%, lower than the Essex County town median of 2.235% and lower than the statewide municipal median of 2.141%. That ranks it #6 lowest of 22 Essex County municipalities by effective rate. The average residential tax bill was $18,469 on an average assessment of $729,727 across 10,151 residential properties.

Applied to the typical home value of $1,093,692, the effective rate implies roughly $20,583 a year ($1,715 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 $1,093,692 home with 20% down ($218,738) 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 $5,927 a month. With estimated property tax that’s about $7,643, before insurance, any HOA fee and utilities. For comparison, the Census median gross rent in Livingston is $2,949 and Zillow’s observed rent index (asking rents, Sept. 2026) is $4,260, up 2.3% in a year.

Run my numbers for LivingstonRent vs buy here

Who lives in Livingston

About 31,488 people live in Livingston. 88.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied (county town median 72.6%), so the market is mostly owner-occupied single homes. 84.5% of housing units are single-family detached houses. The median resident age is 44.3, and 73.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Median household income is $229,806, higher than the county town median of $151,169.

The median home in Livingston was built in 1962. 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 Livingston

Workers in Livingston average 37.6 minutes each way (those who don’t work from home), longer than the Essex County town median of 32.8 minutes. 11.9% commute by public transportation, so transit is a real option for some commuters and 32.9% work from home.

Schools

I don’t republish unofficial school scores. For Livingston, 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 Livingston’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 Essex towns. Compare with the town comparison tool.
• Sellers: values are up 39.2% in five years, so many owners have significant equity. See your number in the seller net sheet.

Nearby towns at a similar price