Town guide · Union County
Living in Roselle, NJ
Roselle is a compact borough of about two and a half square miles between Linden, Cranford, Elizabeth and Roselle Park. In 1883 it became the first place in the world lit by an electric system with overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, and today it shares Warinanco Park with Elizabeth.
- County
- Union
- Population
- About 22,700 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 2.65 square miles
- Setting
- Compact suburban borough with a small downtown
- Main roads
- Route 27 (St. Georges Avenue) on the Linden border, with the Parkway at Exit 136
First things first
Roselle and Roselle Park are two different towns
Roselle Borough and Roselle Park Borough sit side by side and share a name, but they are separate municipalities with their own governments, budgets and property tax rates. Roselle was formed from parts of Linden in 1894. Roselle Park, directly to the north, was formed from part of Union Township in 1901.
Both names trace back to the Roselle Land Improvement Company, formed in 1866 to build a community around a station on the Central Railroad of New Jersey. When we price or search for a home here, we always confirm which borough it is in, because that decides the tax rate and town services.
Neighborhoods
A small borough with a big first
On January 19, 1883, Roselle became home to the world's first electric lighting system using overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison to show that a whole community could be lit by electricity.
Chestnut Street is the heart of the borough's downtown business district. Morses Creek runs through town, and Route 27 forms the southeastern border with Linden.
- Downtown: The business district along Chestnut Street.
- Aldene: An older place name for an area at least partly within the borough.
- Warinanco Park edge: Homes on the eastern side of the borough, near the large Union County park shared with Elizabeth.
Homes
What you will find
- Single family homes: On residential streets throughout a borough that grew up around a railroad station in the late 1800s.
- Homes near the downtown: Homes within walking distance of the Chestnut Street business district.
Worth knowing: Roselle and Roselle Park share a name and a border, and buyers sometimes mix them up. They have different tax rates and town rules, so we confirm the municipality and block and lot before we talk about price or taxes. For homes near Morses Creek, we also check the flood maps.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Roselle
- 2.819%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $11,2292025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $400,000 on today's market would pay roughly $11,276 a year at Roselle'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
Route 27, St. Georges Avenue, runs along the borough's southeastern border with Linden. The Garden State Parkway is just to the west, and Exit 136 is signed for Linden and Roselle. Roselle no longer has its own train station. The closest is the Roselle Park station on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, in the neighboring borough to the north. NJ Transit buses 112 and 115 run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, routes 59, 62 and 94 run to Newark, and routes 56 and 57 provide local service. Newark Liberty International Airport is about 6 miles away.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Warinanco Park: A 205 acre Union County park designed by the Olmsted Brothers and opened in 1925, on the Roselle and Elizabeth border, with a lake ringed by cherry trees and a 400 meter track.
- Henry S. Chatfield Memorial Garden: A flower garden inside Warinanco Park, named for the first president of the Union County Park Commission.
- Warinanco Ice Rink: The park's ice rink, part of a sports center that was expanded and modernized in 2017.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Roselle
What are property taxes in Roselle, NJ?
Roselle Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.819 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $11,229, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Are Roselle and Roselle Park the same town?
No. They are two separate boroughs with their own governments and property tax rates. Roselle Park is directly north of Roselle. Both names come from the Roselle Land Improvement Company, which developed the area around a railroad station starting in 1866.
Is there a train station in Roselle?
Not anymore. Roselle once had its own station on the Central Railroad of New Jersey main line, on the Roselle and Roselle Park border. Main line trains were rerouted under the Aldene Plan in 1967, the last shuttle service ended in 1978, and that stretch of line is now abandoned. The closest station today is Roselle Park on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, in the neighboring borough to the north.
What is Roselle's connection to Thomas Edison?
On January 19, 1883, Roselle became home to the world's first electric lighting system using overhead wires, built by Edison to show that a whole community could be lit by electricity. The First Presbyterian Church on Chestnut Street became the first church in the United States lit by electricity.
Is Warinanco Park in Roselle?
Yes, in part. The 205 acre Union County park sits on the Roselle and Elizabeth border. It was designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm and opened in 1925.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Roselle
Buying or selling in Roselle?
Roselle, not Roselle Park
Every Roselle conversation starts with confirming the borough and the block and lot, so the taxes and comparisons are right. Then we go over what your home could sell for and the ways to get there.
Call or text either of us directly.