The Town FilesShort Hills, New Jersey
Community in Essex County · population 14,422 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,674,100
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 24 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 41.5
Short Hills is a community of 14,422 people in Essex County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $1,674,100, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks more upscale than 100% of New Jersey towns, better transit than 83% of New Jersey towns, better for families than 76% of New Jersey towns.
How Short Hills ranks
Percentile among New Jersey towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Jersey towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Short Hills is worth $1,674,100, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 6.7 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 6% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $3,126 a month. 86.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Short Hills | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,674,100 | $435,600 |
| Median rent | $3,126 | $1,774 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $111,891 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.7× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 86.5% | 80.8% |
| Median year built | 1958 | 1969 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Short Hills
| People | Short Hills | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.7% | 18.3% |
| Under 18 | 31.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 92.6% | 44.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.3% | 5.7% |
| Veterans | 1.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 31.5% | — |
| Work from home | 40.4% | 16.3% |
| Average commute | 42.6 min | 30.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 94.6% |
Weather in Short Hills
July highs average 86.3°F and January lows 21.9°F. About 50.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 24.0 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 29 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 118 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Short Hills since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 28, 1973 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 37 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on December 9, 2009.
Severe weather in Essex County since 1996
Essex County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| September 2, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| December 11, 2020 | Hurricane | DR-4574: Tropical Storm Isaias |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3451: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Essex County
Essex County had 349,076 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $88,369 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in 2023; in Short Hills itself the ACS puts it at 3.4%.
Public schools in Short Hills
3 public schools with 1,153 students, about 13.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartshorn School | K-4 | 428 | 12.6 |
| Deerfield School | K-4 | 376 | 12.5 |
| Glenwood School | K-4 | 349 | 14.0 |
Towns near Short Hills
- Millburn, NJ0.4 mi · 21,710 people · home $1,371,500
- Summit, NJ2.5 mi · 22,719 people · home $994,500
- Vauxhall, NJ2.7 mi · 5,251 people · home $360,000
- Springfield, NJ2.9 mi · 17,178 people · home $636,600
- Maplewood, NJ3.0 mi · 25,684 people · home $720,700
- Chatham, NJ3.0 mi · 9,212 people · home $984,900
- Livingston, NJ3.2 mi · 31,330 people · home $821,100
- South Orange Village, NJ3.5 mi · 18,484 people · home $866,600
Short Hills questions
Is Short Hills, New Jersey a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Short Hills scores better for retirees than 33% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 41%. 11.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.5).
How much does a house cost in Short Hills?
The median owner-occupied home in Short Hills is valued at $1,674,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 6.7 times income. Median rent is $3,126 a month.
What is the weather like in Short Hills?
July highs average 86.3°F and January lows 21.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.4 inches of precipitation a year and 24.0 inches of snow.
Does Short Hills get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Short Hills since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 28, 1973. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)