Short Hills, NJ — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New Jersey·Short Hills

Essex County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 14,422

InvestorsSmall-town feel

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

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Hot

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Short Hills stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 6.9% in the last year. averaging 8.9% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $2,369,554

1-year +6.9%

5-yr CAGR +8.9%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

25/100

Very car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

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Public transit

15/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

28/100

Poor remote-work fit

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 37.2

Rent

At a 37.2 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Short Hills for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

81 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

83 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Home 10-yr CAGR

59 · w10%

Long thesis

Short Hills has averaged 8.9% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+6.9% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Short Hills's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Short Hills

Short Hills is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 14,422. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The median home value in Short Hills is $2,369,554 as of 2026-04, up 6.9% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Short Hills average $5,304 per month. The composite momentum score is 81 of 100 (Hot). Buyers should expect competition and limited negotiation room in this market.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.9% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.

●Trend still working: prices up 6.9% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Premium territory: $2,369,554 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.

○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

Expect competition, escalation clauses, and pressure to waive inspections. Make your strongest offer up front — Hot markets reward decisiveness, not negotiation. If you can't write a clean offer, you may not be the best fit for this market right now.

Seller

Price slightly above recent comps and let multiple offers work. Days-on-market should be short. Don't accept the first offer in the first 48 hours unless it's significantly above ask.

Investor

Cap rates will look ugly in a Hot market — your thesis has to be appreciation, not yield. Don't expect cash flow; expect to ride the trend and exit before it stalls.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Essex County right now.

NWS active alerts (NJ)New Jersey Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Essex County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.