Berkeley Heights, NJ Real Estate Guide for Buyers, Sellers & Renters

Berkeley Heights is a township on the western edge of Union County, set in the Watchung Mountains and the Passaic River valley, with about 13,300 residents as of the 2020 Census. It has its own NJ Transit station on the Gladstone Branch, a downtown along Springfield Avenue, part of Union County's Watchung Reservation, and a historic deserted village within its borders. Here's what to know before you buy, sell, rent or invest in Berkeley Heights.

Why People Choose Berkeley Heights

Berkeley Heights pairs a rail connection to Manhattan with a lot of protected open space. The Passaic River forms the township's northern border, and Union County's Passaic River Parkway runs along it with walking trails, a wildflower meadow, a bird blind and a canoe launch. To the south, the township holds part of the Watchung Reservation, part of the county park system that took shape after 1921, which it shares with Mountainside and Summit.

History shows up in more places than you might expect. The Deserted Village of Feltville, inside the reservation, began as a company mill town in the 1840s, later became the Glenside Park summer resort, and is now listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Littell-Lord Farmstead on Horseshoe Road keeps an 18-acre farm with a house dating to about 1760. The township bought it with Green Acres funding in the 1970s, and the local historical society runs a museum there.

Getting Around: Commuting from Berkeley Heights

• Train: Berkeley Heights station on Sherman Avenue is on NJ Transit's Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex Lines. Trains run to Hoboken Terminal, with connections to New York Penn Station through Summit station, a short ride east.
• Bus: NJ Transit Route 986 runs between Summit and Plainfield and serves the township.
• Car: Interstate 78 runs along the township's southeastern border and is its main highway link to Newark, the New Jersey Turnpike and points west. Springfield Avenue, Plainfield Avenue, Snyder Avenue and Mountain Avenue carry local traffic.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

Berkeley Heights is mainly a township of owner-occupied, single-family homes. Of roughly 4,500 occupied housing units in the 2020 Census, about 4,080 were owner-occupied. The township's housing element reports that about half the housing stock was built before 1970, with the 1950s and 1960s the peak building decades. What you'll find:

• Single-family homes: The large majority of the housing, including mid-century homes from the postwar building boom and later construction. Most homes are on the larger side; the housing element reports that most units have six or more rooms.
• Downtown and Springfield Avenue apartments: A newer and growing part of the mix. Clarus Berkeley Heights, a 211-unit rental building at 434 Springfield Avenue next to the train station, is one of the newest. The township has also designated several Springfield Avenue properties as areas in need of redevelopment, with smaller mixed-use rental buildings proposed or approved there.
• Free Acres: A community founded in 1910 by Bolton Hall, a follower of economist Henry George, on about 75 acres in Berkeley Heights and Watchung. Homeowners own their houses but lease the land, which the association holds in common.

Buying a Home in Berkeley Heights

Here's what we help Berkeley Heights buyers check:

• Flood zones: Union County's hazard mitigation plan identifies six special flood hazard areas in the township. Several are Passaic River tributaries on the north side, including Snyder Avenue Brook and Robin Avenue Brook, which can back up when the river is high. Others are branches of Green Brook and Blue Brook along the southern border. We review FEMA flood maps and insurance requirements for any home near these waterways.
• Older-home inspections: With so many homes from the 1950s and 1960s, inspections should cover the roof, foundation and drainage, electrical service, heating and cooling, and any oil tank history.
• Free Acres and other unusual ownership: If a home sits on leased land, financing, title and transfer rules work differently. We get the association documents to you and your attorney early.
• Property taxes: We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering so you can budget accurately.
• Multi-unit properties: Two-to-four-family homes are uncommon here, but if one fits your plans, an FHA loan can work with a low down payment as long as you live in one of the units.

We can connect you with a lender for pre-approval before you start touring, and we work with cash buyers too.

Selling Your Berkeley Heights Home

Buyers looking at Berkeley Heights often compare it with New Providence, Summit, Mountainside and Scotch Plains in Union County, Long Hill and Chatham Township in Morris County, and Warren in Somerset County. Price depends on the house itself: its age and updates, lot, distance to the train station, and flood zone status. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis using truly comparable recent sales, gather flood and inspection information up front so buyers get answers early, and market your home across the MLS and major online channels.

Renting and Investing in Berkeley Heights

Rentals have long been a small share of Berkeley Heights housing, but the new apartment buildings near the station and along Springfield Avenue are adding options for renters who want to be close to the train. Single-family homes for lease also come up. For investors, we'll look at realistic rents, taxes, insurance, flood exposure and condition before you commit. We also help landlords price, market and screen tenants.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Watchung Reservation, a Union County park shared with Mountainside and Summit, including Watchung Stable
• Deserted Village of Feltville / Glenside Park, open daily dawn to dusk with a self-guided walking tour
• Littell-Lord Farmstead and the Berkeley Heights Historical Society museum on Horseshoe Road
• Passaic River Parkway trails along the township's northern border
• Columbia Park and the township community pool
• Downtown shops and restaurants along Springfield Avenue
• Public schools: Berkeley Heights Public Schools, including Governor Livingston High School

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Berkeley Heights with nearby towns? Read our guides to New Providence, Summit, Scotch Plains and Mountainside, or browse all of our North Jersey town guides.

Talk to a Local Broker

The Thompson Realty Group is a licensed New Jersey real estate brokerage based at 20 MacArthur Ave in Garfield, serving buyers, sellers, renters and investors across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties. Whether you're a first-time FHA buyer, a cash investor, or a homeowner wondering what your place is worth, we'll give you straight answers about Berkeley Heights.

Call or text 201-928-5562 or book a free 15-minute consultation. You can also search every active New Jersey listing on our website.

Information on this page is provided for general guidance and is believed accurate as of October 2026. Programs, ordinances, taxes and transit schedules change, so please verify details for any specific property. Equal Housing Opportunity.