Princeton Housing: Property tax reality checks
You've gotta live somewhere... right? From a Witherspoon Jackson brick rowhouse with porch gossip Olympics to a Western Section ivy draped Colonial with professor lawn envy, Princeton has a variety of places and ways to make a home. We're going to help you understand what to expect.
Diane, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Diane has been rooted in New Jersey since day one and has lived everywhere from Hillside to Elizabeth to Springfield before landing in Fanwood. When she and her family moved into their current place, she was very pregnant and still refused to stop lifting boxes or scrubbing things because she wanted it done right. She is the kind of New Jerseyan who can talk about Revolutionary War history, walk you through Duke Gardens, or recommend the best apple picking without checking a map. Her food loyalties are fierce, especially when it comes to pork roll on a hard roll with melted cheese, though she will happily join any naming debate. She is a lifelong reader who once tried to leave the library with more books than her card allowed. She even crossed paths with Sinatra during an honorary degree event at Stevens. At Snappy Scout she brings sharp local insight with a Jersey wink.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Does Home Look Like in Princeton?
Prices, house styles, and the rental fine print locals wish someone had told them sooner.
Home prices are
like the acceptance rate inverted: steep, competitive, with surprise bidding wars
Homes in Princeton are typically
older, book stuffed, smaller than Texas dreams, larger than Manhattan closets
The dream house would be
ivy draped stone colonial with secret library ladder and a Dinky proof office
The reality is that it will most likely be
cozy Cape with professor bookshelves, heroic taxes, and a two car compromise
I'll live anywhere except
behind Route 1 big boxes, where soul goes for fluorescent lighting
As long as I'm close to
Small World Coffee, the Dinky, towpath runs, Hoagie Haven, and Nassau Street people watching
Stereotypical architecture is
Collegiate Gothic flirting with tidy colonials and the occasional midcentury professor pad
Sought after views
Lake Carnegie rowers at sunrise, ivy spires, deer judging you in Institute Woods
HOAs around here are
polite yet pricey, lawn rules stricter than an eating club jacket policy
Ready to See If Princeton Fits You?
Compare neighborhoods, check the routes, or head back to the full Princeton guide for the bigger picture.