Princeton Real Estate - Mercer County NJ Homes -

About Princeton NJ

Princeton is a great place to live for many reasons. Convenient        commute by train and bus and close proximity to New York and Philadelphia are one of the main attractions of this area. The second factor is the excellent Princeton district school system as well as some of the worlds best private schools. There are plenty of options for dinning, shopping and recreation. The worlds best culture and entertainment are only one hour away in New York.

If you are considering a move, this article could help you can decide if Princeton would be the right home for you and why. I moved to Princeton NJ for the reasons above and found it a wonderful place to live and work.

Housing prices, quality of life, how safe is it to live here, who would be your neighbors, must be just a few questions you could be asking. These are some of the statistics about Princeton NJ*.

Princeton NJ Borough and Princeton Township Population

Princeton population is 13,684 people, with the population density  of 7,388 people per square mile. The median age is 24.4 as compared to the US median of 37.6. Most (66.32%) of people in Princeton, NJ, are married.

Princeton Townships population is 17,353, with the population density of 1,057 people per square mile. The median age is 40 vs. the US median of 37.6.  The majority (66.41%) of people in Princeton Township are married. Approximately 34 % have children.

Princeton NJ Borough and Princeton Township Housing

In Princeton Borough most houses (58%) are older with the median house age of 42 years. There were only 1.5% of houses built in 1999-2005. 445 of homes are owned. The median home price was $670,000. The housing price ranges: <$599,000: 45%; $500K-$749K: 26%, $750K-$1mln: 10%; $1mln+ 19%.

In Princeton Township the average age of the homes is 40 years and 12% were built in 1999-2005. The median home value was $678,000. The home price ranges are <$499,000:33%;$500K-$749K: 23%; $750K-$999k: 16%; $1mln+:28%

Princeton NJ Borough and Princeton Township Education

Princeton is a town of highly educated people with 40% having graduate degrees and 21% having 4 year college degree. Princeton NJ School Disrtict has 4,421 students. The expenditure per student is $19,514 compared to the NJ average of $11,430. The student to teacher ratio is approximately 15.

More on housing, schools, quality of life follows

.Princeton NJ Compared to the Best Places To Live

One way to look at Princeton NJ is to see how it fares compared to the 100 best places to live, which the Money magazine publishes each year. The most striking points of this comparison for 2007**:

•  Princeton is a safe place to live, with the crime rate 89% lower then the average of the 100 best.

• Princeton is 77% more diverse then the average of the 100 best (measured by a racial diversity index).

Income

• Princeton median family income is  $145, 559 and is 61% higher then average.
• Princetonians have  62% more buying power, partially because of  the high income.

Qualty of Life

• Princeton is a very safe place. Property and personal crime are 89% lower then average.
• Princetonians have a relatively short commute -16.5 minutes compared to 23.1 minutes average
• Five times as many people walk or bike to work.
• Princeton area has more libraries - 79, compared to the 71 average
• Arts funding - state funds per person spend on art is 3 times higher.
• Surprisingly, we have more ski resorts (within 100 miles).

Health

• We have more people who have health plans.
• We are as lean as the 100 best average body mass index 27.
• We have a bit more people with hypertension and somewhat fewer elder care facilities.

Neighbors

• We are a bit older but still young, with a median age of 41.2 compared to 36.8                                    
• We are very well educated 87.2% completed at least some college, compared to the 72.4% average.
• This is a community of mostly married people 60.8, exactly the same as the average.
• We have less divorces 6.8% of residents, compared to 8.0% average
• We pride ourselves on diversity almost 77% better then average.
• We love vacations and spend a bit more then average.

More Princeton NJ Statistics

• Princeton is a very safe place. Property and personal crime are 89% lower then average.
• Princetonians have a relatively short commute -16.5 minutes compared to 23.1 minutes average
• Five times as many people walk or bike to work.
• Princeton area has more libraries - 79, compared to the 71 average
• Our arts funding - state funds per person spend on art is 3 times higher.
• Surprisingly, we have more ski resorts (within 100 miles).

Princeton and the surrounding communities of West Windsor, Montgomery Township and Hopewell offer opportunities for people with various backgrounds, housing budgets and life styles. I love the 20 years that my family lived here, and my clients share the sentiment.

Moving To Princeton? Here are 5 Reasons Why

Proximity to jobs, convenient commute, quality schools, affordable housing and unlimited choices of things to do these are the ingredients we look for when deciding on the best recipe for our next move. Here is a short list of why Princeton area is a great place to live.

Commuting
A new job is why many people are considering moving. New York one of the largest job markets in the country is an hour away from Princeton. The same is true for Philadelphia. There are approximately 10,000 people taking the train from the Princeton Junction train station daily. The trains are comfortable and many commuters use it to do work, read or take a nap. A word of advice, with so many commuters you may have to get to the train station early to get a spot.

Schools
The schools in Princeton NJ, West Windsor NJ and Montgomery NJ are consistently rated by various publications in the top 15.
This area has probably the largest number of private schools, many with worldwide reputation, such as the Lawrenceville School, which counts George Akerlof 58 - 2001 Nobel Laureate for Economics among its alumni. Other private schools in the area are The Hun School and the Princeton Day school to name a few.We also have excellent schools for kids with special needs, such as Eden and Lewis school.

Housing prices
There is a tremendous variety in the types of housing and house prices in Princeton and surrounding towns. You can find anything from a $250,000 condo to a $12,000,000 estate, a brand new house or a 250-year-old historical property. It is difficult to find better housing values, given the quality of schools and proximity to jobs. For example, the average prices year-to-date for houses sold are: Princeton Borough $897,110, Princeton Township - $941,802, West Windsor $551,108, Montgomery - $654,107, Hopewell Borough & Township - $612,897, Plainsboro - $403,213. ****Based on Trend MLS 01-07/2007

Recreation
If you can think of something to do, you most likely can to do it here. You can bike, run, walk, fish, kayak, ice skate, bird watch and play many sports. Princeton Township alone has 21 public parks with over 800 acres of land. There are 3 tennis clubs, golf clubs, numerous tennis courts, sports fields and health clubs in this area.

Shopping/Restaurants/ Entertainment
A theater with good quality productions, a museum with great exhibits, lectures and events are right in town. There are boutique shops for apparel, home decor and your pets in downtown Princeton. Most large chains, discount stores and supermarkets are within 15 minutes. There are new restaurants opening all the time offering every type of cuisine and ranging from sophisticated and pricey to simple and inexpensive. If those choices are not enough Broadway and the worlds best restaurants and shops are only an hour away.

In downtown Princeton you will find not only the famous Princeton University, but also many cultural and entertainment opportunities. McCarter Theatre is one of the nations most active cultural centers, with over 200,000 visitors each season. Princeton Art Museum is a leading university art museum, with over 60,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary. Parks, sports arenas, shopping malls and boutiques, top class dinning all of this is within stone throw away from this home.

* Information based on Sterlings Best data for 2007; ** Information based on Moneys Best Places to Live 2007. Information accuracy is not guaranteed.

Please call 609-553-4175 to see if Princeton NJ area could be the right place to call home for you.

Read more about Princeton NJ real estate:

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate - Secrets to selling your house like an agent.

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate -Secrets To Buying A Home Like A Realtor

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate Sellers- 3 Things That Sell Houses Now

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate - 5 Deadly Mistakes When Selling Your House

Princeton Mercer County NJ Real Estate - Prices of Houses Sold in Princeton -January 2008

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