New Jersey

Millburn / Short Hills

Photo: Goldfishbutt · Public domain

Why people live here

Short Hills is among the wealthiest zip codes in the country; Millburn is its more diverse southern neighbor. Top-tier schools, Midtown Direct to Penn (~35 min), Maplewood Mall as the local commercial anchor, and large estate-scale homes on tree-lined blocks.

Who thrives here

High-income family-anchored households who want top schools + premium suburban scale + the train.

A user who fits

Cluster: Estate / Car-Anchored School Suburb

Mid-40s family, two kids in private or top public school. Drives everywhere. Wants top-tier schools and the established suburb: country club, lacrosse league, manicured lots, real privacy. Trains to Manhattan when work calls but most days don't require it. Picks Scarsdale or Greenwich over Larchmont because the walkability doesn't matter — the privacy does.

The tradeoffs

· Among the priciest suburbs in the metro
· Reads as conservative even in a diverse area
· Calm to the point of subdued

Anchors