New Yorkers moving to this part of the region are usually choosing between two sides of the Delaware River: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with towns like Yardley, Washington Crossing, Newtown, and New Hope, and the Princeton area of New Jersey, with Princeton, West Windsor, Pennington, and Lambertville. Both offer more space, strong schools, and a train to New York. The differences come down to four things: how long the commute is, which school district a home is in, what homes cost, and how much property tax you will pay.
This guide compares the towns on those four points and explains how to buy from the city.
The towns at a glance
| Town | State | Typical single-family value (Zillow, Sept 2026) | Public schools | Usual station for New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Windsor | NJ | About $1.03 million | West Windsor-Plainsboro | Princeton Junction, in town |
| Princeton | NJ | About $1.05 million | Princeton Public Schools | Dinky to Princeton Junction |
| Pennington and Hopewell | NJ | About $701,000 | Hopewell Valley | Trenton, Hamilton, or Princeton Junction, about 20 minutes |
| Lambertville | NJ | About $638,000 | South Hunterdon | Trenton, about 27 minutes |
| Yardley | PA | About $641,000 | Pennsbury | Trenton, about 12 minutes |
| Washington Crossing | PA | About $888,000 | Council Rock | Trenton, about 17 minutes |
| Newtown | PA | About $785,000 | Council Rock | Trenton, about 21 minutes |
| New Hope | PA | About $1.01 million | New Hope-Solebury | Trenton, about 28 minutes |
| Langhorne | PA | About $574,000 | Neshaminy | Trenton, about 16 minutes |
Values are by ZIP code. Drive times are estimates without traffic.
1. The commute
Express NJ Transit trains reach New York Penn Station in about 55 minutes from Princeton Junction, about an hour from Hamilton, and about 1 hour 10 minutes from Trenton, according to the 2026 weekday timetable. Monthly passes cost $549, $563, and $585 at fares effective July 1, 2026.
Two points surprise people. SEPTA’s West Trenton Line, which stops in Yardley and Langhorne, runs to Philadelphia and does not connect to New York trains. And the Trans-Bridge bus from New Hope and Lambertville runs only twice each way on its 2026 schedule, so it suits occasional trips.
Hybrid schedules change the calculation. In a 2025 survey by the Partnership for New York City, the most common schedule for Manhattan office workers was three days a week. At two or three days, an extra 15 minutes of driving to Trenton often buys more land or a lower tax bill. At five days, living near Princeton Junction is worth a lot. The NYC commute guide has the details.
2. Schools
Every town here has a well-regarded public school district, and several are among the strongest in their states.
- New Jersey: U.S. News ranked West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North 17th and South 21st in New Jersey, Princeton High School 55th, and Hopewell Valley Central 81st, in its 2025-26 list.
- Pennsylvania: in the 2026-27 list, New Hope-Solebury High School ranked 4th in Pennsylvania, according to the district, Council Rock North 30th, Council Rock South 73rd, and Pennsbury 157th.
School assignment depends on the municipality, not the mailing address. Yardley, Langhorne, Holland, and Washington Crossing ZIP codes each cross district lines. The guide to Pennsbury vs. Council Rock compares the two largest Bucks County districts.
3. What homes cost
The table above shows the range: from about $574,000 in Langhorne and $641,000 in Yardley to about $1 million in New Hope, West Windsor, and Princeton. Within each town, the spread is wide; in Princeton’s ZIP 08540, for example, the least expensive third of homes was valued at about $588,000 and the most expensive third at about $1.64 million.
4. Taxes
Property taxes are usually the largest difference between the two states. Census data for 2020 to 2024 put the median property tax paid at $5,826 in Bucks County and $8,909 in Mercer County, New Jersey. New Jersey’s 2025 average residential bill was $23,373 in Princeton, $16,604 in West Windsor, and $10,009 in Lambertville.
Income taxes matter less than many New Yorkers expect. You stop paying New York City income tax when you move out of the city, but you still pay New York State tax on wages earned there, and Pennsylvania or New Jersey gives you a credit. Transfer taxes also differ: Pennsylvania’s is typically 2 percent, customarily split between buyer and seller, while New Jersey’s fees fall on the seller, including a graduated fee on sales over $1 million since July 2025. The taxes guide explains each one.
Matching towns to priorities
- Shortest train ride: West Windsor and Princeton.
- Lower property taxes with a short drive to the train: Yardley, Washington Crossing, and Newtown.
- Land and privacy: Washington Crossing, Solebury around New Hope, and the Hopewell Valley.
- A walkable historic town: Princeton, Yardley, Newtown, New Hope, Lambertville, and Pennington.
- More accessible prices: Langhorne, Yardley, Lambertville, and Holland.
- A walkable town near Philadelphia, with Amtrak to New York: the Main Line, covered in the guide to moving to the Main Line from New York City.
How to buy from the city
- Get pre-approved, with a lender comfortable lending in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey if you are looking on both sides.
- Narrow the map first. A call or video meeting with your agent about commute days, budget, and space can cut a two-state search to four or five towns.
- Visit in blocks. Group showings so one Saturday covers Yardley, Washington Crossing, and Pennington, for example.
- Drive the commute at rush hour once before you commit.
- Plan for local rules. Many municipalities require resale inspections or certificates, and New Jersey requires a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm certificate on every sale. Your agent should know them for each town.
Working with Karen
Karen Langsfeld is a REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, so she can show you both sides of the river and compare them honestly. She helps New York buyers narrow the towns by commute, schools, and taxes, schedules showings around the days you can come down, and handles the purchase on either side. Learn more about moving from New York.
Contact Karen at (215) 495-2914 or through the contact page.
Sources: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026; NJ Transit timetable (August 30, 2026) and fares effective July 1, 2026; Trans-Bridge Lines (2026); Partnership for New York City (March 2025); U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools 2025-26 (New Jersey) and 2026-27 (Pennsylvania); New Hope-Solebury School District; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024; New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025. Drive times are estimates without traffic. This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice.