Town guide · Middlesex County
Living in Dunellen, NJ
Dunellen is a one square mile borough that grew up around its railroad station. Trains still stop on the embankment above town, North Avenue runs beside the tracks, and the Green Brook marks the edge of the borough at the foot of the Watchung Mountains.
- County
- Middlesex
- Population
- About 7,600 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 1 square mile
- Setting
- A small railroad borough with a station at its center
- Main roads
- Route 28 (North Avenue) and County Route 529
Neighborhoods
A town built around the train
Dunellen broke away from Piscataway Township and became a borough in 1887. It took its name from the Dunellen station of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which first opened as New Market station in 1840. The borough's own strategic plan describes how the railroad subdivided the surrounding farmland into a residential community.
In 2012 the state designated Dunellen a Transit Village, covering the half mile around the station, and the borough has a long list of redevelopment projects along North Avenue.
- Around the station: The blocks closest to the elevated tracks, inside the borough's Transit Village area.
- North Avenue: Route 28, the borough's main street, running beside the railroad and home to most of the redevelopment projects.
- Along the Green Brook: The streets near the brook that forms the borough's border with Green Brook Township in Somerset County.
Homes
What you will find
- Older homes on borough streets: Homes on residential streets that grew up after the railroad turned the surrounding farmland into a residential community.
- New buildings near the station: Redevelopment projects along North Avenue and around the station, part of the borough's Transit Village plan.
- Homes near the brook: Streets along the Green Brook, where flood risk deserves a close look.
Worth knowing: The Green Brook runs along Dunellen's western edge, and heavy storms have flooded homes on nearby streets, including North Washington Street and Mountain View Terrace. For any home near the brook, we pull the FEMA flood map and ask about past water before we set a price. New Jersey sellers must disclose a home's flood zone and flood history, so buyers see the risk before they commit.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Dunellen
- 2.399%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $11,3002025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $10,796 a year at Dunellen's 2025 effective rate. Your actual bill depends on your assessment, so we pull the real tax record for any home you are considering.
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 general and effective tax rates. Rates are set each year.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
Dunellen station, on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, sits on a raised embankment in the middle of town. Most trains end at Newark Penn Station, where riders transfer, and a limited number of weekday trains run directly to New York Penn Station. NJ Transit buses 113 and 114 run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, and local routes 59, 65 and 66 also serve the borough. No interstate or U.S. highway passes through Dunellen. Route 28, which is North Avenue, and County Route 529 are the main roads.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Columbia Park: A borough park with a gazebo, where community walking groups meet.
- Dunellen station: The only Raritan Valley Line station in Middlesex County, raised above the streets in 1955 to eliminate grade crossings.
- The Green Brook: The brook flows southwest along the borough's edge, forming the line between Middlesex and Somerset counties.
- Washington Rock State Park: Just over the line in Green Brook Township, a 52 acre state park with an overlook George Washington used in 1777.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Dunellen
What are property taxes in Dunellen, NJ?
Dunellen Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.399 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $11,300, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Can you take the train to New York from Dunellen?
Yes. Dunellen station is on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line. Most trains end at Newark Penn Station, where riders transfer to reach New York, and a limited number of weekday trains run directly to New York Penn Station.
How big is Dunellen?
Dunellen covers about 1.06 square miles, all of it land. About 7,600 people lived there as of the 2020 census.
Where does the name Dunellen come from?
The borough was named for the Dunellen station of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The station first opened in 1840 as New Market station, and Dunellen became its own borough, separate from Piscataway, in 1887.
Does Dunellen flood?
Some streets can. The Green Brook runs along the borough's edge, and heavy storms have flooded homes nearby. Flood risk varies by address, so we check the FEMA flood map and the flood history for each home.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Dunellen
Buying or selling in Dunellen?
Near the train, near the brook
In a one square mile borough, a few blocks closer to the station or the Green Brook can move a home's value. We will show you what nearby Dunellen homes have actually sold for and lay out every option.
Call or text either of us directly.