From The Allison Ziefert Real Estate Group:
If you’ve lived in South Orange or Maplewood for a while, the idea of $2 million home sales may still feel like an outlier. But the data from the past few years tells a very clear story: the high end of the market is no longer a fluke—it’s becoming a consistent part of the local landscape.
So far this year, there have been 415 total residential sales combined between South Orange and Maplewood, and 9 of those have closed at $2 million or higher. To put that in perspective:
- In 2024, there were just 3 sales at $2M+
- In 2023, there were 2 sales
- In 2022, there was 1 sale
In addition, 50 homes have sold at $1.5M or above across the two towns, and those sales have been fairly evenly split between the two, reinforcing that this is not a one-town phenomenon—it’s a shared market shift across SOMA.
What’s also interesting is where these $1.5M+ and $2M+ sales are occurring geographically. Based on this year’s sales map, activity is not isolated to a single pocket—it’s spread across several neighborhoods:
- Maplewood-Upper Wyoming where buyers prioritize space, privacy, and architectural scale. Roosevelt Estates, always considered a premiere location and coveted for access to the Village and station. There were also a few such sales east of Valley Street clustered near Prospect Street where buyers also value convenience to the train and town.
- South Orange-Newstead, where buyers appreciate access to the Reservation, larger lots and more modern architecture. Wyoming and Montrose Sections including areas close to downtown, the train stations where buyers gravitate to the convenience that offers and who want larger homes that combine modern updates with older detail.
Rather than clustering in just one “luxury zone,” these transactions reflect multiple micro-markets within both towns where buyers are willing to compete at higher price points for the right combination of location, layout, and condition. This geographic spread is another signal that the upper end of the market is being driven by lifestyle patterns.
Perhaps most importantly, the growth at the top of the market tells us something larger:
South Orange and Maplewood are no longer emerging suburban alternatives—they are fully established destination towns with a pricing structure to match.
So what else is happening in the local market? Despite what you hear in the national headlines where some areas, especially those that saw acute appreciation during the pandemic, Northern New Jersey is still experiencing very tight inventory and a sellers market. While parts of Florida and Texas are seeing inventory accumulate and prices drop, that is not the case here or for much of the Northeast.
South Orange vs. Maplewood: A Snapshot of How the Two Markets Performed in 2025
While South Orange and Maplewood continue to move in sync at the high level, the year-end numbers show two distinct market personalities emerging beneath the surface based on the year to date data..
Sales Volume
- Maplewood: 234 homes sold in 2025 (up slightly year over year)
- South Orange: 143 homes sold (down modestly from last year)
Maplewood remains the higher-volume market, with more overall transactions.
Average Sale Price
- South Orange: $1,050,621 (essentially flat year over year)
- Maplewood: $1,009,778 (up over 6% from 2024)
South Orange still commands the higher average price, while Maplewood saw stronger upward price momentum this year.
Days on Market
- Both towns now average 20 days on market
Maplewood sped up slightly compared to last year, while South Orange normalized just a touch—bringing both towns into near-perfect alignment on market pace.
List-to-Sale Price Ratio
- Maplewood: 112.28% of list price
- South Orange: 110.09% of list price
Buyers in both towns are still paying well above asking in competitive situations, with Maplewood now showing slightly more aggressive bidding behavior.
The Takeaway
In 2025, Maplewood surged on volume and appreciation, while South Orange held firm at a higher price plateau with tighter inventory. Both towns remain highly competitive, but buyers and sellers are navigating two subtly different market experiences. For homeowners, that presents an opportunity. For buyers, it demands strategy. And for both sides, understanding the micro-differences between the two towns has never mattered more.
Here is our latest market report for Maplewood:
Here is our latest market report for South Orange:
Is 2026 the year that you change your lifestyle for the better? Moving up, downsizing, relocating out of or around NJ – our team would be happy to strategize with you. Reach out to us at the Allison Ziefert Real Estate Group at Compass. Our email address is: [email protected].
