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Wifey and I have been considering a move out of state for some time now. However, we recently started looking closer into South Jersey before deciding to make a bigger leap elsewhere. We're looking for a lower cost of living and less congestion (a more bucolic area, but not "the sticks"), as we currently live in Bergen County.
We have family in Hamilton Township (Atlantic County). While houses are dirt cheap, we're not to fond of the area. It seems a little dull, especially to what we're used to in terms of amenities. Also the schools leave a lot to be desired. We want to be closer to Philly/I-95 for better job prospects as well. We both work in healthcare. However, we would like to be as close to our family as possible.
We've narrowed it down to two primary areas: Burlington County:
Medford, Evesham/Marlton, Shamong, Tabernacle, Medford Lakes, Woodland and Mt. Laurel. I believe all of these towns share a school district (Lenape).
Gloucester County:
Harrison/Mullica Hill, Mantua, Swedesboro, Woolwich, South Harrison, Logan, East Greenwich and Washington Twp.
Property taxes seem highest in Voorhees and Cherry Hill. Also, Cherry Hill seems "busy" due to all the shopping and a high population. Reminds me of Paramus up here. Definitely not what we're looking for. We would be close enough though, which is perfect for us. For these reasons, they're off our list despite the highly-ranked schools. We don't want to spend more than 450-475K, so Haddonfield and Moorestown are out of our price range.
Considering everything we want, the Burlington County towns seem to be in the lead in my opinion. Gloucester property taxes seem to be higher, but farther away from things.
If I am missing something or am misinformed about something, let me know. Which towns would you remove? Add? Thanks!
Last edited by Busch Boy; 09-09-2019 at 07:17 PM..
You seem to have the right idea. Camden County taxes are the highest, then Gloucester County, then Burlington County the “lowest” out of those in the Tri-County area, as it is known. If you don’t want “the sticks”, I would avoid Shamong, Tabernacle, and Woodland. Medford is kind of the transitional town, while Marlton and Mt. Laurel are generally fully developed suburbs. Mt. Laurel is maybe a little more so, and closer to that busy Cherry Hill/Paramus vibe than Marlton is, since it is one town closer to Philly (along Route 73) and also closer to the Turnpike and 295. My. Laurel also has Route 38. Marlton has Route 70 access in addition to Route 73. So, Marlton will be a little more relaxed and also one town closer to Hamilton. Both towns are good options for commuting to Philly or elsewhere in South Jersey due to their highway access. Can’t go wrong with either, so take your pick.
It's almost useless for me to post after Leps because I always agree with him.
I think that Marlton or Medford are your sweet spot. They're not terribly far from I-295, the Turnpike, or the PATCO Speedline to Philadelphia. For Philly access, I would choose Marlton. Shamong, Tabernacle, and Woodland Township are too far out to be considered a reasonable commute. Yes, all of the high schools are in the Lenape district.
You didn't mention age of the kids. While Marlton and Mt. Laurel are the same school district, that is for HS only. K-8, the two town have their own school system. My kids when through the Mt Laurel district so I can only write from our experiences. In term of STEM, I think Mt Laurel has an edge over Marlton.
A lot of newer homes are being built in Mt. Laurel so I would be a little concern about taxes and school size. I believe incoming class at Lenape is over 500 kids now.
You didn't mention age of the kids. While Marlton and Mt. Laurel are the same school district, that is for HS only. K-8, the two town have their own school system. My kids when through the Mt Laurel district so I can only write from our experiences. In term of STEM, I think Mt Laurel has an edge over Marlton.
A lot of newer homes are being built in Mt. Laurel so I would be a little concern about taxes and school size. I believe incoming class at Lenape is over 500 kids now.
More importantly, even though the Burlington County towns in discussion share the same high school district, there are four high schools within that district. It is not as if all of the towns mix together in high school. High school admission is as follows:
Tabernacle, Shamong, Woodland, and Southampton go to Seneca.
Medford and Medford Lakes go to Shawnee.
Marlton goes to Cherokee.
Mt. Laurel goes to Lenape.
It should be noted that Lenape is strange. Even though it serves Mt. Laurel, the school is located in Medford. Not really an issue though; it is close to the Mt. Laurel border.
More importantly, even though the Burlington County towns in discussion share the same high school district, there are four high schools within that district. It is not as if all of the towns mix together in high school. High school admission is as follows:
Tabernacle, Shamong, Woodland, and Southampton go to Seneca.
Medford and Medford Lakes go to Shawnee.
Marlton goes to Cherokee.
Mt. Laurel goes to Lenape.
It should be noted that Lenape is strange. Even though it serves Mt. Laurel, the school is located in Medford. Not really an issue though; it is close to the Mt. Laurel border.
I’m of the opinion that Marlton is best for OP.
Lenape and Cherokee were built in the 1950's and used to serve all the other towns (that you pointed out) prior to the the addition of the other highschools. Most of these towns were farm towns with dirt roads until the late 70's and early 80's.
All these towns are great choices, but have some minor differences. I'd say take a tour through them and see what "feels best", I personally don't believe one town is the best out of these. As for age demographics, it seems people move into this area in their 40's with kids in tow and leave the area once they are all done school.
As for taxes, all these towns are incubators for kids, have limited big business and taxes are high as a result. I'm sure with a few exceptions, the taxes between Burlington, Gloucester and Camden aren't that far from each other where it would make financial sense to choose one over the other as a result.
Last edited by DannyHobkins; 09-10-2019 at 10:09 PM..
Thanks for the replies everyone! So no one seems to be recommending the Gloucester County towns. I’ve read Logan Township has cheap property taxes, but I can’t seem to find much inventory there. All the realtor websites just list Swedesboro homes when I look.
I also discovered Medford has a downtown, which scored major points with the wife. Definitely not a must, but a nice plus. Any other towns with one? Also, are there flooding problems in the Medford Lakes area?
There's not a lot going on in Medford Village these days. There are a few restaurants and shops. They have fireworks on Independence Day and a very lively Halloween parade, and a Dickens festival. In the 2000s, Mom and I went to the Philadelphia Flower Show on a Village excursion. They probably still do that sort of thing.
This town or the other, it's more about the area. Haddonfield, the shore, and Philadelphia are day trips. Routes 70 and 73 are a mess, but you can avoid them. It's possible to live on a quiet, leafy property but still be just 15 minutes from a very decent ShopRite.
Marlton has Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, L.L.Bean, and REI, but you don't have to live near them.
I love that area. There are quite a few grandfathered, small properties in the busy area of Medford with a couple of horses. I used to buy eggs from Sally at The Jennings Farm, and knew the True Value staff.
I'd also check out Mt Holly in Burlington County - it's the county seat. I'm sure the taxes are lower than most Camden County municipalities, but it has a great downtown area and you can drive 10 minutes in a couple different directions and wind up in farmland or woods. Great parks nearby, great community feel. You'd be roughly a half hour from the Betsy Ross Bridge into Northeast Philly with access to 95 and 35 minutes from the Ben Franklin Bridge into Center City. The schools are decent in Mt Holly (Rancocas Valley Regional High School being the high school), but not as highly-rated as the schools in the Lenape School District (Lenape, Shawnee, Cherokee, Seneca). However, I know dozens of Rancocas Valley (RV) alumni, and most of them ended up with good jobs and happy lives. Do not let an average school rating scare you from Mt Holly. It is also worth mentioning that Mt Holly is much more diverse than the other municipalities mentioned elsewhere in this thread, though Mt Laurel is pretty diverse too.
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