Scotch Plains, NJ real estate: the numbers, explained.

Home values in Scotch Plains

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

Zillow’s Home Value Index for Scotch Plains was $834,283 as of September 30, 2026, up 5.6% from a year earlier and up 38% over five years. Over ten years the index rose 65.1%. 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 $939,553 across 190 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 $718,200 (2020–2024 average), compared with a Union County town median of $533,300.

Scotch Plains property taxes

Scotch Plains’s 2025 general tax rate was 12.35 per $100 of assessed value, and its effective tax rate was 2.137%, about the same as the Union County town median of 2.113% and about the same as the statewide municipal median of 2.141%. That ranks it #12 lowest of 21 Union County municipalities by effective rate. The average residential tax bill was $15,818 on an average assessment of $128,077 across 7,413 residential properties.

Applied to the typical home value of $834,283, the effective rate implies roughly $17,829 a year ($1,486 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 $834,283 home with 20% down ($166,857) 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 $4,521 a month. With estimated property tax that’s about $6,007, before insurance, any HOA fee and utilities. For comparison, the Census median gross rent in Scotch Plains is $2,060 and Zillow’s observed rent index (asking rents, Sept. 2026) is $2,923.

Run my numbers for Scotch PlainsRent vs buy here

Who lives in Scotch Plains

About 24,843 people live in Scotch Plains. 79% of occupied homes are owner-occupied (county town median 68.3%). 75.2% of housing units are single-family detached houses. The median resident age is 42.3, and 64.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Median household income is $183,655, higher than the county town median of $119,464.

The median home in Scotch Plains 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 Scotch Plains

Workers in Scotch Plains average 33.7 minutes each way (those who don’t work from home), longer than the Union County town median of 31.5 minutes. 7.9% commute by public transportation, so transit is a real option for some commuters and 25.5% work from home.

Schools

I don’t republish unofficial school scores. For Scotch Plains, 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 Scotch Plains’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: taxes run above the county median, so budget on the tax bill, not just the price. Ask for the current bill on every listing.
• Sellers: values are up 38% in five years, so many owners have significant equity. See your number in the seller net sheet.

Nearby towns at a similar price