County guide

Buying and selling in Union County

Walkable downtowns, one-seat trains to Penn Station and the highest prices in my service area — Westfield and Scotch Plains are the two towns that anchor it.

#18

Westfield, Niche 2026

#34

Scotch Plains-Fanwood

$1,305,037

Westfield avg sale 2025

274

Westfield sales, 2025

School rankings: Niche 2026 (niche.com). Tax bills, sale prices and sales counts: NJ Division of Taxation, 2025 Average Residential Statistics (nj.gov PDF). Municipality-wide averages, not a quote for any specific property.

What it is actually like

Union County is where Central New Jersey buyers go when the downtown matters as much as the district. Westfield recorded a 2025 average residential sale price of $1,305,037 — the highest of any town I cover outside Bergen — with an average tax bill of $18,948. Scotch Plains shares the regional district next door at a lower average price and larger lots. Both have direct rail to New York.

I work in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, and I represent both buyers and sellers here. I do not handle commercial property or property management — if that is what you need, I will refer you to someone who does it well.

Bright, sunlit living room in a Central New Jersey home

Town-by-town guides

Each guide covers why buyers choose it, the housing stock, the honest trade-off and what to verify before you write an offer.

Westfield & Scotch Plains

Union County at its most established: mature streets, architectural character, a genuine town center, and a direct commuter line into Manhattan.…

Districts in this county, with the tax bill attached

NJ rank / grade	Town & district	Avg tax bill (2025)	Avg sale price (2025)	Tax / price
#18 A+	Westfield Westfield Public Schools	$18,948	$1,305,037	1.45%
#34 A	Scotch Plains Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional	$15,818	$878,329	1.80%

Always confirm the assigned school for a specific address in writing with the district office. Boundaries do not follow town lines and districts redraw them.

Run your own numbers

Because the tax spread inside this county is so wide, run any Middlesex shortlist through the affordability calculator with the actual town tax bill, not a county average.

Affordability

What you can carry once the real tax bill is in the payment.

Closing costs

Cash to close on a New Jersey purchase, itemised.

Seller net proceeds

What you actually walk away with after fees and the transfer fee.

Union County questions I answer most

Why is Westfield so much more expensive than Edison?

Three things compound: a walkable downtown that people genuinely use, direct rail to Penn Station, and a district Niche ranks #18 statewide for 2026. The state recorded a 2025 average residential sale price of $1,305,037 in Westfield against $612,202 in Edison. You are paying for scarcity of that combination, not for square footage — Edison will often give you a bigger house.

Is Scotch Plains a cheaper way into the same schools as Westfield?

No — and this is a common mix-up. Westfield has its own district (Niche #18 for 2026); Scotch Plains shares the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional district (#34) with Fanwood. They are neighbors with separate school systems. Scotch Plains does have a lower 2025 average sale price at $878,329 and generally larger lots, but it is a different district, not a discount on the same one.

Are Union County houses older than in Middlesex?

Generally yes, and it changes your inspection list. Much of Westfield and Scotch Plains was built before 1960, which means knob-and-tube wiring, buried oil tanks, original slate roofs, asbestos-wrapped ducts and basement water history all belong on the checklist. None of that is a reason to walk away — but all of it should be found during attorney review, not after closing.

NEXT STEP

Looking in Union County?

Send me your budget, your commute and your must-haves. I will come back with the two or three towns that actually fit, and the ones that do not.