Ranked by Niche as the 9th best place to live in Monmouth County, Matawan is a gorgeous borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Part of the New York City Metropolitan Area – the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass – Matawan borders Aberdeen Township and Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, as well as Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County. 

What is the community of Matawan like? 

Located less than a half-hour's drive from New York City, Matawan is a charming, close-knit community in Monmouth County. Founded around 1686 by Scotch Presbyterians who settled at the crossing of two Indian trails, Matawan played an important role in aviation navigation history. In 1944, the first operational Visual Aural Range (VAR) was installed at Matawan.  
Today, Matawan appeals to a wide variety of residents, partly because of its excellent transportation network but also for its wealth of natural resources, including two lakes and the Matawan Creek. In addition, Matawan is part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline. 
Matawan is home to Lake Lefferts, which is an engineered lake that plays home to sunfish, bluegill, crappies, bass, catfish, and pickerel. The lake also offers a recreational outdoor area, which features a public fishing dock, boat launch, and canoe rental, as well as a sports bar, dining room, and catering facility.  
Residents of Matawan also enjoy access to a plethora of incredible parks and trails including the 210-acre Freneau Woods Park, which consists of fields and forests along the headwaters of the Matawan Creek and the southern boundary of Lake Lefferts. Freneau Woods is currently a passive park, offering self-guided hiking, biking, and horse riding on 1.6 miles of trails. In addition to self-guided activities, the park system offers programs and guided hikes. 
Notably, just six minutes from Matawan lies the 386-acres Cheesequake State Park, which is made up of open fields, saltwater, and freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, pine barons, and a northeastern hardwood forest. Visitors can take advantage of the five designated trails for hiking and mountain biking, 50-plus campsites, several picnic areas, water activities on the six-acre Hooks Creek Lake, as well as the Interpretive Center.     

What is Real Estate like in Matawan?     

Real estate in Matawan has shown an average growth of 3.30% per year since the year 2000. since 2000, the prices of homes in Matawan have overall appreciated by a strong 99.33%. National real estate firm, Redfin, categorizes Matawan’s housing market as ‘very competitive.’ The sale prices of homes in Matawan have experienced strong growth of more than 27.5% since May last year.   
The median home price in Matawan is $439,000. Currently, there are 101 active homes for sale in Matawan, and at present, it typically takes 60 days for a listed home to sell. the average cost to rent a house in Matawan is $2,569 per month. Currently, there are 3,379 homes and apartments in the city, 63.7% of which are owned, and the remaining 36.3% are rented. 

How is the economic landscape of Matawan?    

On average, a Matawan resident earns around $42,000 per annum, considerably higher than the US average of $28500. The city’s median household income of almost $83,000 per resident is also much greater than the US average of approximately $53000. 
the city’s job market is expected to grow by 26.8% over the next ten years. Most of the residents of Matawan work in construction, manufacturing, retail, finance, transportation, educational services, accommodation services, professional and technical services, and healthcare.   

How are the schools in Matawan?     

Matawan is covered by 2 school districts, with Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District being the city’s major school district encompassing 7 schools and more than 3,800 enrolled students. Matawan also lies in proximity to many colleges including, among others, Middlesex County College, Brookdale Community College, and Wagner College.     
When it comes to higher education, Matawan lies in the vicinity of several quality universities, most prominent among them being Princeton University. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.      
Princeton provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. As of May 2021, 69 Nobel laureates, 16 Fields Medalists and 16 Turing Award laureates have been affiliated with Princeton University as alumni, faculty members, or researchers. Princeton has also graduated many members of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Cabinet, including eight Secretaries of State, three Secretaries of Defense, and two Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.   

Matawan in a nutshell        

In a nutshell, Matawan is a close-knit community that offers the charms of small-town living, as well as convenient access to big-city amenities. Thanks to the borough’s proximity to megapolises such as New York and Philadelphia, as well as to relatively smaller cities of Old Bridge, New Brunswich, and Marlboro, Matawan offers uncountable opportunities to tap on unique and exciting outdoor recreational facilities surrounding it. With great schools and community living, Matawan is an incredible place to raise a family or simply live and excel, should you choose to move to New Jersey.