Short Hills tops New Jersey’s wealth rankings with a median household income at or above $250,001, the highest category tracked by the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Alpine, a tiny Bergen County borough, follows closely at roughly $247,000. But “richest” depends on what you measure. If you look at home values instead of income, Deal in Monmouth County leads the state with typical home prices around $3.8 million.
Short Hills: Highest Household Income
Short Hills is an unincorporated community within Millburn Township in Essex County, about 20 miles west of Manhattan. Its median household income of $250,001 places it at or near the top of every New Jersey income ranking. The community is known for its large homes on wooded lots, top-rated public schools in the Millburn School District, and direct NJ Transit train service to New York Penn Station. That commuter access has long attracted Wall Street professionals and corporate executives.
Millburn Township, which encompasses Short Hills, also carries one of the state’s heaviest property tax burdens. The average residential property tax bill in Millburn was $24,952 in 2023, more than two and a half times the statewide average of $9,569. Those high taxes fund the school system that helps sustain property values in the first place.
Alpine: A Close Second in Income
Alpine is a small borough in Bergen County, perched on the Palisades cliffs overlooking the Hudson River. With a median household income near $247,000 and typical home values above $2 million, it consistently ranks among the wealthiest communities in the entire country. The borough has fewer than 2,000 residents and no real commercial district, which gives it a secluded, estate-like feel. Properties there tend to sit on multi-acre lots behind gated driveways.
Alpine’s average residential property tax bill was about $21,722 in 2023. While that’s steep compared to most of the state, it’s actually lower than several other wealthy towns because Alpine has relatively few municipal services and a small school system.
Deal: Highest Home Values
If you measure wealth by real estate rather than reported income, Deal takes the crown. This small Monmouth County shore borough had the highest typical home value in New Jersey as of May 2025: $3.8 million. Deal sits along the Atlantic Ocean just south of Long Branch and has long been home to a tight-knit community of affluent families, many with roots in the Syrian Jewish community of Brooklyn.
Deal’s average property tax bill of $21,748 in 2023 reflects those elevated home values. The borough is less than one square mile, with a year-round population of roughly 700 people, though that number swells in summer.
Other Wealthy New Jersey Towns
New Jersey has an unusually deep bench of affluent communities. Sixty-five towns across the state had typical home values above $1 million in 2025, according to Zillow data reported by NJ.com. Alpine, Avalon, and Stone Harbor all had typical values exceeding $2 million, though Avalon and Stone Harbor are Cape May County shore towns where much of the housing stock consists of vacation properties rather than primary residences.
Several other towns stand out for their combination of high incomes and expensive homes. Rumson, a Monmouth County borough on the Navesink River, carried an average property tax bill of $22,476 in 2023. Essex Fells, a small residential enclave in Essex County, averaged $20,335. Mountain Lakes in Morris County came in at $22,443, and Princeton at $21,320. Each of these places has its own character, but they share a pattern: excellent school districts, proximity to New York City or other employment centers, and housing stock that skews toward large single-family homes.
Why the Answer Depends on the Metric
Income and home values don’t always point to the same place. Short Hills has the highest median household income, which reflects what residents earn each year from salaries, investments, and business income. Deal has the priciest homes, which reflects accumulated wealth, desirable oceanfront land, and limited housing supply. Alpine sits near the top on both measures.
Property taxes offer yet another lens. Tavistock, a tiny Camden County borough with fewer than 10 residents that essentially functions as a private golf club, had the state’s highest average residential tax bill at $38,209 in 2023. It’s technically a municipality, but calling it a “town” stretches the definition.
For most people asking which New Jersey town is the richest, Short Hills is the most common answer. It combines the state’s highest median income with nationally recognized schools, commuter convenience, and home prices well into seven figures. Alpine and Deal are strong contenders depending on whether you weight seclusion and estate size or oceanfront real estate. All three places represent a level of wealth that puts them among the most affluent communities in the United States.