Living in Warren, NJ (07059): The Guide, by the Numbers
Warren Township is a Somerset County town of about 17,753 people on 19.57 square miles of the Watchung ridges, about 30 miles west of Manhattan, with no downtown, no train station and no apartment towers. Most of it is detached houses on an acre or more: of the 975 homes that sold in the past five years, 83 percent were detached, and the median lot on a detached sale over the past twelve months was 1.5 acres. The median sale over the same twelve months was $1,180,000 across every type, $1,300,000 for a house and $830,000 for a townhouse. The 2025 tax rate was $1.752 per $100 of assessed value and the average residential bill was $16,999. Every published ranking puts Warren's schools above the state median, and US News and Niche put Watchung Hills in the top fifth of New Jersey. The median household earns $204,063 a year. This page is the record of what living here involves, every figure sourced, and it leaves the restaurant lists to other publications on purpose.
New here, or thinking about it? Moving to Warren is the relocation orientation, commute first. Every home for sale right now is one click away. This page is the reference behind both.
Where it is and how it is laid out
Warren covers 19.57 square miles of land in the northeast corner of Somerset County, bordered by six towns: Watchung, Green Brook, Bridgewater and Bernards Township in Somerset County, and Long Hill and Berkeley Heights across the county line. The Second Watchung ridge runs east to west through the middle of it, and the southern half is Washington Valley, the trough between the First and Second Watchung ridges. The Passaic River and its Dead River branch run along the northern edge. Interstate 78 crosses the top of the township with two interchanges, exit 36 at King George Road and exit 40 at Hillcrest Road. Route 22 does not enter Warren. It runs through Bridgewater, Green Brook, North Plainfield and Watchung just to the south, and that is where the big box retail is.
The town grew around three crossroads settlements the maps still name, Warrenville, Mount Bethel and Mount Horeb, which is why it has neighborhoods and wooded road frontage rather than a main street. Mountain Boulevard, county route 527, is the closest thing to a spine: the municipal complex, the library and the small commercial centers sit along it. ZIP code 07059 covers all but a sliver of the township, 99.85 percent of its land by the Census Bureau's mapping, with the remainder in 07069, and the area code is 908. The post office is at 2 Technology Drive.
Who lives here
US Census Bureau figures. The population count is the Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate. The rest are the American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 five year estimates, which carry margins of error of up to about 12 percent on a town this size: the median household income figure is plus or minus $23,194, the median gross rent plus or minus $252.
| Measure | Warren Township |
|---|---|
| Population, July 1, 2025 estimate | 17,753 |
| Population, 2020 Census | 15,923 |
| Households | 5,376 |
| Persons per household | 2.99 |
| Median age | 44.7 |
| Owner occupied housing | 88.2% |
| Housing units | 5,560 |
| Median household income | $204,063 |
| Per capita income | $102,163 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher, age 25 and up | 67.3% |
| Foreign born | 19.7% |
| Persons in poverty | 2.8% |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.4 minutes |
| Median gross rent | $2,170 |
| Median value of owner occupied homes, ACS estimate | $930,800 |
Two numbers on that table need a caution. The population estimate is 11.5 percent above the 2020 count, April 2020 to July 2025, which is fast for a built out town, and the ACS median home value of $930,800 is what owners told the survey their homes were worth, not what homes sell for. Actual sales ran a median $1,180,000 over the past twelve months. Warren by the Numbers reconciles the two.
The housing stock
What Warren is made of, from the 975 homes that closed in the five years ending September 21, 2026. Sales are not a census of the housing stock, but five years of them describe it well enough to plan around.
| Built | Sales | Detached | Attached | Median price | Median living area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 48 | 43 | 0 | $592,500 | 1,670 sq ft |
| 1940s and 1950s | 92 | 91 | 0 | $690,000 | 1,948 sq ft |
| 1960s and 1970s | 234 | 232 | 0 | $865,000 | 2,516 sq ft |
| 1980s and 1990s | 263 | 259 | 4 | $1,315,000 | 3,674 sq ft |
| 2000s and 2010s | 160 | 142 | 18 | $1,362,500 | 3,948 sq ft |
| 2020 and later | 161 | 45 | 110 | $972,470 | 2,758 sq ft |
17 sales carried no year built. The 2020 and later row is mostly townhouses, the builder deliveries at Villas at Warren, Fairview at Warren and The Hills at Warren. The 1980s and 1990s were Warren's big detached building decades and those houses set the price: a median $1,315,000 on 3,674 square feet.
Detached houses: lots, styles and size
| Lot size, detached sales with a parcel match | Sales | Median price | Median living area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under half an acre | 135 | $940,000 | 2,567 sq ft |
| Half an acre to 1 | 146 | $1,180,000 | 3,387 sq ft |
| 1 to 1.5 acres | 126 | $1,192,500 | 3,534 sq ft |
| 1.5 to 3 acres | 367 | $1,035,000 | 3,166 sq ft |
| 3 acres and up | 31 | $1,300,000 | 4,554 sq ft |
Of 805 detached sales matched to a county parcel, 49 percent sat on an acre and a half or more, which is what the dominant R-65 zone requires for a new lot. The small lot rows are older subdivisions and the half acre R-20 districts, and they are not cheaper per square foot, only smaller. The zoning page has every district.
| Style, as listed | Detached sales, five years | Median price | Median living area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial | 438 | $1,275,750 | 3,532 sq ft |
| Custom | 97 | $1,480,000 | 4,437 sq ft |
| Ranch | 98 | $829,000 | 2,019 sq ft |
| Cape Cod | 37 | $530,000 | 1,568 sq ft |
| Split level | 32 | $707,000 | 2,181 sq ft |
| Contemporary | 31 | $999,000 | 3,237 sq ft |
| Bi-level | 28 | $760,000 | 2,329 sq ft |
| Raised ranch | 20 | $702,000 | 2,056 sq ft |
| Bedrooms | Detached sales, five years | Median price | Median living area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 or fewer | 32 | $577,500 | 1,312 sq ft |
| 3 | 142 | $714,000 | 1,864 sq ft |
| 4 | 359 | $984,000 | 2,848 sq ft |
| 5 | 208 | $1,394,044 | 4,024 sq ft |
| 6 or more | 72 | $1,887,500 | 5,276 sq ft |
Colonials are 54 percent of detached sales. Four bedrooms is the median house, at a median $984,000, and the median crosses $1,000,000 at five bedrooms, $1,394,044. Townhouses and condominiums are 14 percent of sales, concentrated in five communities, and they carry association fees, a median $384 a month on the past year's attached sales. The full split is on detached vs townhouse.
Wells, septic and heat
About one Warren home in four runs on a private well, a septic system or both. Across 990 single family sales since 2021 that reported a utility, 21.6 percent listed a well and 11.0 percent a septic system. Natural gas heats 92.8 percent of the homes that reported a heat source. Public water where it exists is New Jersey American Water's Raritan system, and the sewer system has been a township department since the Sewerage Authority was dissolved in 2022. What each of those costs a buyer or seller, and what the township requires at transfer, is on the well, septic and sewer page.
What it costs
| Cost | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price, all types | $1,180,000 | 174 closings, twelve months to September 21, 2026 |
| Median detached house | $1,300,000 | 132 sales, same window |
| Median attached home | $830,000 | 39 sales, same window |
| Median price per square foot | $412 | 162 sales with a living area on record |
| General tax rate, 2025 | $1.752 per $100 assessed | Somerset County Abstract of Ratables |
| Average residential tax bill, 2025 | $16,999 | State of New Jersey |
| Median tax bill on homes sold | $14,263 | 174 sales, same window |
| Association fee, attached homes | $384 a month | median of 39 attached sales |
| Median gross rent | $2,170 | ACS 2020-24 |
The tax bill on a home you buy will not be the rate times the price. Warren reassesses every year, but each list values property as of the prior October 1, so recent buyers were billed a median 1.26 percent of their purchase price. The tax rate, explained works through it with the state's own tables.
The schools
Two districts. The Warren Township School District runs four elementary schools, Angelo L. Tomaso, Central, Mt. Horeb and Woodland, plus Warren Middle School, 1,706 students in 2024-25 including preschool. Watchung Hills Regional High School, on Stirling Road in Warren, is a separate district shared with Watchung and Long Hill as constituent members, 1,644 students. US News ranks it 79th of 415 New Jersey high schools for 2026-27. Niche grades the high school and the K-8 district A. On the state's 2024-25 report card, 98.4 percent of the Class of 2025 graduated in four years by the state's method, 89.7 percent by the federal one, and Warren's grade 3 to 8 students were proficient in math at 72.0 percent against 42.0 statewide. The state's own accountability scores put the six schools between the 54th and 84th percentiles of New Jersey schools of their type. Every ranking, with its method, is on the school rankings page, and the districts themselves on the schools page.
Getting around
- Driving. I-78 exits 36 and 40 are in the township. I-287 is a few minutes west on I-78. Newark Liberty International Airport is about 20 miles east. The county routes through town are 525 (Martinsville and Liberty Corner roads), 527 (Morning Glory Road, Washington Valley Road and Mountain Boulevard), 531 (Hillcrest Road), 616 (Washington Valley Road), 618 (Mount Horeb Road), 622 (Mountain Avenue), 638 (Old Washington Valley Road), 651 (Warrenville Road, Mount Bethel Road and King George Road) and 653 (Stirling Road).
- Rail. No station in town. The NJ Transit Gladstone Branch stations at Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Stirling, Millington and Lyons sit just past the northern edge, with most trains to Hoboken and a change at Summit for Penn Station. The Raritan Valley Line runs south of the ridge, with Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Dunellen, Plainfield and Netherwood the closest stations.
- Bus. The township's park and ride: Lakeland Bus Route 78 runs weekday express trips between the Building 300 garage at Warren Corporate Center, off King George Road by exit 36, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, with parking permits for residents by annual lottery through the Township Clerk. Times, fares and the lottery are on the township's park and ride page and at lakelandbus.com. NJ Transit's 114 runs along Route 22 in Watchung, outside the township.
- Commute. The mean travel time to work is 33.4 minutes on the ACS, and the moving guide has the door to door options.
How the town runs
| Function | How Warren does it |
|---|---|
| Government | Township Committee, five members elected at large to staggered three year terms, who choose a mayor from among themselves each January. 2026: Mayor Shaun Fine, Deputy Mayor Vanessa Kian. The Committee meets in the Susie B. Boyce Court Room at 44 Mountain Boulevard. Most township offices have worked from temporary space at 3 Mountainview Road, Suites 100 and 102, since a sprinkler pipe burst at Town Hall on February 8, 2026. Court and police stay at 44 Mountain Boulevard, and mail still goes to 46 Mountain Boulevard |
| Land use | A Planning Board for conforming applications and a Zoning Board of Adjustment for variances, both reorganized each January |
| Municipal budget | CY2026 appropriations of $27,058,363 adopted May 14, 2026, a municipal levy of $16,545,271. On the 2025 rates the municipal purpose is about 15% of a tax bill, 16% with the open space tax |
| Police | Warren Township Police Department, its own force: 43 full time employees including 35 sworn officers, per the township's April 2026 Local Government Week directory. Chief Robert Ferreiro as of February 2026 |
| Fire | Four all volunteer companies plus a fire police unit: Mount Bethel Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, Mt. Horeb Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, Community Fire Company No. 3 and Washington Valley Fire Company No. 4 |
| Rescue | Warren Township Rescue Squad, all volunteer, 6 Bardy Road, incorporated 1940 |
| Water and sewer | New Jersey American Water, Raritan system, where public water reaches. A township Sewer Department since 2022, with sewer bills separate from the tax bill |
| Recycling | Curbside through Somerset County's program on the township's posted schedule, paper and cardboard separate from bottles and cans. A year round Styrofoam bin at the municipal complex since 2026 |
| Library | Somerset County Library System, Warren Township branch, 42 Mountain Boulevard. Monday to Thursday 10 to 8, Friday and Saturday 10 to 6, Sunday 1 to 5 |
| Health care | Atlantic Health urgent care at 64 Mountain Boulevard. The nearest hospitals are Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, about 6 miles, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, about 10, and Morristown Medical Center, about 11, all straight line |
Who holds which seat, what the budget funds and how the boards work is on the government and budget page. Every meeting, school date and recycling pickup is on the Warren calendar.
Parks, open space and the year's events
| Place | What it is |
|---|---|
| East County Park, 40 Reinman Road | Somerset County park inside Warren, 150 acres, turf fields, a dog park and trails |
| Warrenbrook Pool and Warrenbrook Golf Course, 500 Warrenville Road | Somerset County's pool and golf course in Warren, beside the county senior center. Warren has no township pool of its own |
| Wagner Farm Arboretum, 197 Mountain Avenue | Nonprofit arboretum on former farmland, with community gardens and public events |
| Dealaman Trail and Pond, Mount Horeb Road | Township passive recreation land with a trail loop and pond, a $1,140,160 Green Acres backed rehabilitation appropriated in 2026 |
| Warren Municipal Field, 46 Mountain Boulevard | The township's fields at the municipal complex, home to the recreation programs and the summer concerts |
| Codington Woods, off Mount Horeb Road | Township woodland trail |
| Nearby | Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater adjoins the township. Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is about 6 miles north, Watchung Reservation in Union County about 8 miles east |
| Event | Who runs it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Day parade, Mountain Boulevard to the Veterans Memorial | Township | Late May |
| Lions Expo Carnival, municipal complex | Warren Township Lions Club, since the 1960s | June |
| Summer concert series, Municipal Field | Township Recreation | Summer |
| Harvest Festival and Artisan Market | Wagner Farm Arboretum Foundation, inaugural | Scheduled September 26, 2026 |
| Fall 5K | Township Recreation | October |
| Letters to Santa mailbox | Township Recreation | Mid November to early December |
| Holiday Festival, bonfire and tree lighting | Township, third held in 2025 | Early December |
Dates for the current year are on the calendar, which is where this site tracks events. This page names the recurring ones and stops there.
Safety and weather
The New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report for 2023, the most recent full year published, records 101 index crimes in Warren Township, 616.7 per 100,000 residents on its population base of 16,378: one violent crime, a robbery, and 100 property crimes, 57 of them burglaries. 2022 recorded 82 index crimes, three of them violent. Small counts move a lot from year to year, so read them as a level, not a trend.
Warren has no weather station of its own. The nearest full NOAA station with 1991 to 2020 normals is Plainfield, about 6 miles away and roughly 90 feet above sea level: an average January low of 23.8 degrees, an average July high of 88.1, 48.72 inches of precipitation a year and 21.4 inches of snow. The ridges in Warren sit several hundred feet higher and run a little colder and snowier.
History in four lines
- Warren Township was formed on March 5, 1806 from parts of Bernards and Bridgewater townships, and named for General Joseph Warren, who died at Bunker Hill. Part of it became North Plainfield Township in 1872, the township later renamed Green Brook.
- The Mount Bethel Baptist Meeting House, at Mount Bethel and Mountainview roads, is on the State Register (December 22, 1975) and the National Register of Historic Places (June 3, 1976). The New Jersey Historic Trust gives its construction date as 1786, revising the 1761 date in the original 1975 nomination.
- Warrenville, Mount Bethel and Mount Horeb are the historic crossroads settlements and remain federally listed place names inside the township.
- The 2020 Census counted 15,923 residents. The Bureau estimates 17,753 as of July 1, 2025.
What this guide leaves out
Restaurant lists, shopping roundups and lifestyle prose. This publication's editorial standards rule them out, because other sites do them well and because nothing in them can be sourced the way the figures above are. What this guide could not verify from a primary source is also left out: whether the township collects household garbage or residents contract private haulers, the highest point in town, and the exact 2026 recycling pickup day. Those belong to the township's own pages.
- US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Warren Township, Somerset County, and American Community Survey 2020-24 five year estimates (tables B01002, B05002, B11001, B19013, B19301, B25001, B25003, B25064, B25077, S0801, S1501, S1701). www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/warrentownshipsomersetcountynewjersey
- US Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to county subdivision relationship file, and the 2024 Gazetteer for land area. www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_cousubs_34.txt
- Garden State MLS closed sales for Warren Township, twelve months and five years ending September 21, 2026, matched to the 2025 MOD-IV tax list. Method on the data and methodology page. blog.johnmangini.com/warren-data-and-methodology/
- Somerset County Board of Taxation, 2025 Abstract of Ratables, and New Jersey Division of Taxation average residential statistics, 2025. www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/pdf/lpt/ratables/Somerset2025.pdf
- New Jersey Department of Education, School Performance Reports 2024-25, and US News Best High Schools 2026-27. blog.johnmangini.com/warren-nj-school-rankings-watchung-hills-k8/
- Somerset County, county routes by municipality, and NJDOT straight line diagrams for I-78 and Route 22. www.somersetcountynj.gov/government/public-works/engineering/county-routes-by-municipality
- NJ Transit, Gladstone Branch and Raritan Valley Line station lists. Ridewise, Lakeland Bus Route 78 and NJ Transit 114. ridewise.org/rideconnect/route/lakeland-bus-warren/
- Township of Warren, Township Committee minutes and adopted budget as reported on this site, the March 16, 2026 office relocation notice, and the Local Government Week directory of April 2026. Warren Township Fire Department (warrenfire.org) and Warren Township Rescue Squad (warrenrescue.org). www.warrenfire.org/about/
- Somerset County Library System, branch hours. Somerset County Park Commission, East County Park, Warrenbrook Pool and Washington Valley Park. Wagner Farm Arboretum Foundation. www.somersetcountyparks.org/east-county-park
- New Jersey American Water, Raritan system. Patch, April 7, 2022 and January 19, 2023, on the Sewerage Authority's dissolution. www.njwatercheck.com/SystemFinder/2/Detail
- New Jersey State Police, Uniform Crime Report 2023 (released April 16, 2025) and 2022. nj.gov/njsp/ucr/pdf/current/20250416_2023_Uniform_Crime_Report.xlsx
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991-2020 climate normals, Plainfield NJ station USC00287079. www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-annualseasonal/1991-2020/access/USC00287079.csv
- John P. Snyder, The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries 1606-1968 (1969), page 225. New Jersey Historic Preservation Office, New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, Somerset County list. National Park Service, NRHP 76001187, and the New Jersey Historic Trust site record for the Mount Bethel Baptist Meeting House. npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/76001187
Updated September 23, 2026. Market and tax figures refresh with the monthly market update. Census, transit, township and school details are re-checked against their sources at each update.
Warren Township resident and full time broker, licensed in New Jersey since 2002. Warren, Local. is written from live Garden State MLS data, township records and primary sources. Every figure is traceable to a source listed above.