Living in Montville, NJ: Towaco, Pine Brook and Montville

Tree-lined suburban street with autumn foliage, similar to neighborhoods in Montville, NJ

Short answer: Montville is a 19-square-mile Morris County township made up of three sections: Towaco, Pine Brook and Montville itself. The state’s 2025 residential report lists an average sale price of about $897,000 and an average property tax bill of $14,423, and the township has I-287, I-80 and its own train station in Towaco.

If you are searching Montville NJ homes for sale, the first thing to know is that “Montville” covers a lot of ground. The township stretches from the Route 202 corridor in the north to Route 46 and I-80 in the south, and each section has its own feel, roads and commute. Here is how the pieces fit together.

Montville at a Glance

Fact Montville Township
Total area 19.12 square miles
Population 22,450 (2020 Census); 24,469 (Census estimate, July 2025)
Owner-occupied homes 87.7% (Census ACS 2020–2024)
Median owner-occupied home value $700,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024)
2025 general tax rate 2.673 per $100 of assessed value
2025 average residential tax bill $14,423
Public schools Montville Township School District (7 schools)
Train station Towaco (NJ Transit Montclair-Boonton Line)

Towaco, Pine Brook and Montville: The Three Sections

Montville was incorporated in 1867 from part of Pequannock Township, and it still reads like a set of separate villages. The township recognizes three sections, and you will also see older locality names such as Lake Valhalla, Lower Montville, Taylortown and Horse Neck Bridge on maps and listings.

Towaco

Towaco sits in the northern part of the township near U.S. Route 202. Its anchor is Towaco station, which opened in 1870 on the old Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Boonton Branch (it was called Whitehall until 1905). Today it is on NJ Transit’s Montclair-Boonton Line, with two free parking lots holding about 220 cars. Camp Dawson, the township’s large recreation property with hiking, sledding hills and two lighted turf fields, is also in Towaco.

Pine Brook

Pine Brook is the southern end of Montville, where I-80 and U.S. Route 46 cross the township. This is the section with the most direct highway access toward Bergen County and New York, and Lakeland Bus Lines runs daily express service along Route 46 from Montville and Pine Brook to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Racing fans may know the name from the Pine Brook Speedway, which operated from 1962 to 1989 and where Mario Andretti raced early in his career.

Montville (the village)

The original Montville takes its name from the Mandeville Inn, a tavern dating to around 1770. The Morris Canal, finished in 1828, ran through this part of town and brought commercial boat traffic to the Montville and Towaco area. Boonton Avenue, which runs north from the Boonton border, leads to Pyramid Mountain, the township’s best-known open space.

What Montville Homes Cost

Montville prices run above the Morris County average. The NJ Division of Taxation’s 2025 Average Residential Statistics report gives a side-by-side look:

2025 residential figures Montville Twp Morris County
Residential line items 7,147 154,191
Average assessment $539,597 $492,661
Average tax bill $14,423 $12,175
Sales counted 164 3,680
Average sale price $896,959 $787,973

For the current market, NJ REALTORS’ September 2026 report for Morris County shows a single-family median sale price of $737,500, up 2.1% from a year earlier, and a year-to-date median of $795,333. Sellers received 104.0% of list price on average in September, homes sold in about 30 days, and inventory rose 14.2% to 757 single-family homes, or 2.5 months of supply. In plain terms: still a seller-leaning market, with a bit more choice for buyers than last fall.

Montville’s housing stock is mostly owner-occupied single-family homes, from older houses near the historic village and Towaco to larger colonials on wooded lots and newer construction. If you want a number for a specific house, a pricing review based on recent nearby sales is the best place to start.

Property Taxes in Montville

Montville’s 2025 general tax rate was 2.673 per $100 of assessed value, and its effective tax rate was 1.927. The difference exists because assessments in Montville sit below market value, so the effective rate is the better guide to what you will pay relative to a home’s price. On a home assessed at the township average of $539,597, the 2025 bill came to about $14,423. Our guide to how NJ property taxes work in Morris County explains assessments, ratios and quarterly bills, and homeowners should also look at Stay NJ, ANCHOR and the Senior Freeze.

Schools

Montville Township School District runs seven schools: Cedar Hill, Hilldale, William H. Mason Jr., Valley View and Woodmont elementary schools, Robert R. Lazar Middle School and Montville Township High School. Federal data put district enrollment at 3,469 students in 2022–23. For test results, course offerings and other measures, the NJ Department of Education’s School Performance Reports are the official source, and our Morris County school districts guide shows how to read them.

Getting Around

  • Highways: I-287 Exit 47 (U.S. 202) serves Montville and Lincoln Park in the north. I-80 and Route 46 run through Pine Brook in the south.
  • Train: Towaco station’s weekday timetable (effective March 15, 2026) lists five morning trains toward Hoboken and New York, from 5:56 a.m. to 9:19 a.m., and nine trains back in the afternoon and evening.
  • Bus: Lakeland’s Route 46 express to Port Authority, plus NJ Transit local routes.

The Census puts Montville residents’ mean travel time to work at 32.6 minutes. If rail matters to you, read our guide to buying near the Montclair-Boonton Line and our list of Morris County towns for NYC commuters.

Parks, Lakes and Trails

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, run by the Morris County Park Commission at 472 Boonton Avenue, covers more than 1,600 acres with over 19 miles of trails. Its glacial boulders, including Tripod Rock and Bear Rock, draw hikers year-round, and the 934-foot high point has a view of the New York City skyline. The visitor center hosts guided hikes and family programs.

Lake Valhalla is a 90-acre lake in the township, home to the private Lake Valhalla Club, whose stone-fireplace clubhouse dates to the early 1930s. Members swim, kayak and paddleboard in summer and skate in winter.

Before You Buy in Montville

Montville’s mix of older and wooded properties means a few items deserve attention during attorney review and inspection: radon testing (see our Morris County radon guide), a check for any buried oil tank, and a septic inspection if the home is not on public sewer. Sellers will need a New Jersey smoke cert before closing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the sections of Montville, NJ?

Montville Township has three sections: Towaco in the north, Pine Brook in the south and Montville in the middle. Older place names such as Lake Valhalla, Lower Montville and Taylortown also appear on maps and listings.

How much are property taxes in Montville, NJ?

The NJ Division of Taxation reports that the average 2025 residential tax bill in Montville was $14,423, on an average assessment of $539,597. The 2025 general tax rate was 2.673 and the effective rate was 1.927.

Does Montville, NJ have a train station?

Yes. Towaco station is on NJ Transit’s Montclair-Boonton Line, with free parking for about 220 cars. Train frequency is limited compared with busier lines, so check the current timetable before relying on it.

What school district serves Montville?

Montville Township School District serves the township with five elementary schools, Robert R. Lazar Middle School and Montville Township High School.

Sources

Talk to the MorrisAgent Team

Thinking about buying or selling in Towaco, Pine Brook or Montville? Our team has sold homes up to $130,000 over asking, and we respond to new inquiries within minutes. Call (973) 200-4800, email [email protected], or stop by our office at 518 Main Street, Suite 102, Boonton. No pressure, and no surprises.