Pros and Cons of Living in Millburn
Millburn's core trade-off pairs a real, elite school-district reputation and fast, no-transfer Midtown Direct rail access against genuinely elevated housing costs (especially in Short Hills) and a real, disclosed recurring flood risk.
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Learn morePro: an elite, real school-district reputation
Millburn Township School District ranked 10th in New Jersey and 2nd in Essex County (Niche, 2026) -- a genuinely elite placement that substantially drives the town's housing demand.
Pro: genuinely fast, no-transfer rail access to Manhattan
Two in-township stations (Millburn, Short Hills) offer real Midtown Direct service straight into New York Penn Station in as fast as 35 minutes, with no transfer required -- a genuine structural advantage over lines requiring a Hoboken or Newark Penn transfer.
Con: genuinely elevated housing costs, especially in Short Hills
Downtown Millburn's own $1,332,657 average home value is already high; Short Hills runs substantially higher still, at $2,389,321 average / $2.3 million median sale price -- among the highest housing costs in this project's New Jersey buildout.
Con: a real, disclosed, recurring flood risk
The Rahway River has repeatedly overflowed into downtown Millburn during major storms, most severely during the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida (2021) -- a real, current risk specific to downtown-adjacent and Rahway-River-adjacent properties, not a Jersey-Shore-only story.
Key takeaways
- Pro: Millburn Township School District's elite 10th-in-New-Jersey ranking (Niche 2026).
- Pro: real, fast, no-transfer Midtown Direct rail access to New York Penn Station (as fast as 35 minutes).
- Con: genuinely elevated housing costs, especially in Short Hills ($2.3 million median sale price).
- Con: a real, disclosed, recurring Rahway River flood risk affecting downtown-adjacent properties.
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