Short Hills vs. Summit vs. Westfield Luxury Real Estate 2026

Short Hills vs. Summit vs. Westfield: Comparing Three of North Jersey’s Luxury Markets

If you are considering buying or selling a higher-priced home in North Jersey, Short Hills, Summit, and Westfield offer three very different market profiles.

As of September 2026, Zillow reports a typical home value of approximately $2.38 million in Short Hills, $1.41 million in Summit, and $1.30 million in Westfield, All three markets have also recorded year-over-year appreciation, but pricing, inventory, and buyer competition vary considerably from one community to another.

For luxury buyers, that means the same budget can produce very different choices. For sellers, it means pricing and presentation need to reflect the specific town and immediate competition rather than a broad North Jersey average.

Short Hills vs. Summit vs. Westfield: What Do Homes Cost in Late 2026?

The clearest difference among these markets is price.

Westfield median sale price reflects Redfin's three-month period ending August 2026.

Short Hills currently occupies the highest price tier by a significant margin. Summit follows, while Westfield has a slightly lower typical value but remains firmly within the higher-priced segment of the New Jersey market.

How Does Short Hills Compare?

Short Hills sits at the highest end of this three-market comparison.

Zillow reported a typical home value of $2,383,684 as of September 30, 2026, up 8.7% from one year earlier. Inventory was limited to 34 homes, with only nine new listings recorded during September.

Redfin's recent sales data places the median Short Hills sale price at roughly $2.5 million, with homes averaging only about 14 days on the market. Its September sale-to-list ratio stood at approximately 106.8%, meaning the average sale price was above the original asking price during the measured period.

Recent transactions also show how broad the higher-priced market can be. Redfin recorded September sales ranging from around $1.9 million to more than $3.3 million, depending on the property.

What does Short Hills offer from a housing perspective?

Short Hills is part of Millburn Township and contains a considerable inventory of substantial detached residences, including Colonial, Tudor, traditional, and newer custom-built properties.

Buyers comparing higher price levels may encounter:

Larger lots
Five- and six-bedroom properties
Extensive renovations
Newer construction
Pools and outdoor entertaining areas
Larger primary suites
Multiple home-office or flexible-use spaces
Finished lower levels

Short Hills also has NJ TRANSIT service on the Morris & Essex Line at Short Hills Station.

How Does Summit Compare?

Summit currently sits between Short Hills and Westfield on recent sale price, but its 2026 appreciation has been particularly strong.

Zillow reported Summit's typical home value at $1,410,689 in September 2026, an increase of 13.1% year over year. Only 35 properties were listed for sale at the end of September, pointing to relatively limited supply.

Redfin reported an even stronger competitive picture. Over the three months ending September, the city's median sale price reached approximately $1.70 million, up 13.5% year over year. Homes were selling in about 14 days.

One figure stands out: Redfin reported an average sale-to-list ratio of 111.2%, with 76.4% of homes selling above asking price during its measured period.

That tells sellers something important: buyers have been willing to compete strongly for well-positioned Summit properties.

What distinguishes Summit housing?

Summit's housing stock includes older Colonials, Victorians, Tudors, renovated residences, and newer construction at higher price points.

Downtown Summit is centered near its rail station and includes shops, restaurants, services, public spaces, and transportation connections. City planning materials identify the station and downtown core as major community assets, with NJ TRANSIT connections toward New York.

For buyers comparing Summit with Short Hills, budget can affect how much square footage, lot size, renovation level, and proximity to downtown they can purchase.

How Does Westfield Compare?

Westfield carries the lowest typical home value of these three markets, but that does not mean competition is light.

Zillow put Westfield's typical value at $1,304,711 as of September 2026, up 10% over the previous year. Its reported inventory of 55 homes was higher than both Summit and Short Hills.

Redfin reported a three-month median sale price of approximately $1.46 million through August 2026, up 15.3% year over year. Homes were taking approximately 15 days to sell.

Redfin also reported that 76.7% of properties sold above list price, with an average sale-to-list ratio of 106.9%.

Westfield therefore offers a somewhat lower price point than Summit and a significantly lower one than Short Hills, while still showing strong buyer demand.

What does Westfield offer?

Westfield contains a substantial collection of Colonial and Victorian-era architecture along with renovated homes and newer construction. The town's official site also highlights its downtown district, park system, and commuter connections.

Westfield Station serves the Raritan Valley Line and offers parking and bicycle facilities.

For buyers, the appeal at a given price may come down to whether the priority is a larger home, proximity to downtown, renovation quality, lot size, or architectural character.

What Does a $1.5 Million Budget Look Like Across the Three Markets?

This is where the differences become especially useful for buyers.

Short Hills

At approximately $1.5 million, a buyer is substantially below Short Hills' typical home value of about $2.38 million.

Properties can still appear in this range, but buyers may be looking at smaller homes, homes requiring updates, less square footage, or fewer of the features commonly associated with the upper end of Short Hills.

Summit

A $1.5 million budget is much closer to Summit's typical home value, although below Redfin's recent median sale price.

This price range may place buyers in competition for traditional detached homes, with considerable variation based on location, condition, lot size, and renovations.

Westfield

A $1.5 million budget is close to Westfield's recent median sale price.

Buyers may find a wider set of detached-home opportunities around this level than they would in Short Hills, although competition for well-prepared homes remains strong.

What About a $2 Million Budget?

At $2 million, the comparison changes.

In Short Hills, $2 million remains below the current typical value but enters a much more active segment of its detached-home market.

In Summit, $2 million sits above both Zillow's typical value and Redfin's recent median, giving buyers access to a higher segment of available homes.

In Westfield, the same budget places the buyer meaningfully above the recent median price and may open the door to larger, newer, or extensively renovated residences.

The important point is that a luxury budget should never be evaluated in isolation.

A $2 million purchase can represent three very different market positions within three towns located relatively close to one another.

What About the $3 Million and Above Market?

Short Hills separates itself more clearly at this level.

Zillow's September median list price in Short Hills was approximately $3.65 million, reflecting the amount of upper-end inventory currently entering the market.

Recent Redfin sales included Short Hills properties at approximately $2.85 million and $3.32 million.

Summit and Westfield also have properties trading at multimillion-dollar price points, particularly larger renovated homes and newer construction, but their townwide typical values remain considerably lower.

For buyers in this range, property-level analysis matters far more than a community median. Architecture, lot, construction quality, renovations, location, and comparable sales can create very large price differences.

Which Market Is Most Competitive?

All three are competitive, but recent Redfin data shows Summit with the strongest measured sale-to-list ratio.

Summit: 111.2% sale-to-list ratio, 76.4% sold above asking
Westfield: 106.9% sale-to-list ratio, 76.7% sold above asking
Short Hills: 106.8% sale-to-list ratio, 62.0% sold above asking

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These figures should not be interpreted to mean every property will sell above asking.

Luxury homes can vary considerably from one another, and a higher asking price makes comparable sales particularly important.

A home priced correctly from the beginning can create very different buyer behavior from a property that enters the market well above recent comparable sales.

Which Market Has the Least Inventory?

Based on Zillow's September 2026 figures, all three have relatively limited supply:

Short Hills: 34 homes  
Summit: 35 homes  
Westfield: 55 homes

Limited supply can create favorable conditions for sellers, but buyers at higher price levels are often comparing properties very carefully.

That makes preparation especially important.

For a luxury seller, buyers may be evaluating details such as flooring, kitchen and bath finishes, lighting, landscaping, exterior condition, room proportions, storage, home-office options, and outdoor areas before deciding how strongly to compete.

Which Market Has Seen the Strongest Home-Value Growth?

Using Zillow's September 2026 Home Value Index:

Summit: +13.1% year over year
Westfield: +10.0%
Short Hills: +8.7%

Short Hills remains the most expensive of the three by a wide margin, but Summit recorded the fastest annual appreciation in Zillow's latest figures.

This is a useful reminder that a higher-priced market is not necessarily the market with the fastest percentage growth.

Short Hills, Summit, or Westfield: Which One Fits Your Priorities?

There is no single winner.

Short Hills currently has the highest typical home value and a significant concentration of multimillion-dollar residences.

Summit sits below Short Hills in overall pricing but has recently shown particularly strong appreciation and buyer competition.

Westfield currently provides a somewhat lower entry point into this group while still recording million-dollar-plus median prices and strong competition.

For a buyer, the choice may depend on what a particular budget buys in terms of:

Square footage
Lot size
Architectural style
Renovation level
New construction
Downtown proximity
Rail access
Outdoor space
Current inventory

For a seller, the better question is:

What are buyers comparing your property with right now, and how should your home be positioned against those choices?

That answer can differ considerably even between neighboring towns.

What Should Luxury Sellers Know Before Listing?

Higher-priced buyers can be demanding about value because they have more money at stake.

That does not mean every home needs a major renovation before going on the market.

It does mean presentation should be intentional.

A seller may want to review:

Pricing based on recent comparable sales
Professional photography
Staging and furniture placement
Paint and cosmetic repairs
Exterior presentation
Landscaping
Lighting
Kitchen and bathroom presentation
Pre-listing maintenance
How the property compares with new construction

Imagine buyers entering a bright, beautifully prepared home where the architecture, room proportions, and finishes are easy to appreciate.

That kind of presentation can help buyers focus on the property's strengths instead of mentally calculating a long list of projects.

Thinking About Buying or Selling in Short Hills, Summit, or Westfield?

Luxury real estate decisions are highly property-specific.

Online averages can tell you where a market is heading, but they cannot tell you exactly what your home is worth or what your budget can purchase today.

If you are considering selling, I can help you review recent comparable sales, active competition, pricing, preparation, and presentation so you have a clear picture before making your next decision.

If you are buying, we can compare current opportunities across these communities based on the home features, location, and budget that matter to you.

Curious where your property fits into today's North Jersey market? Let's talk about your goals and put together a clear plan.

Christine Cederquist
Realty ONE Group
Phone: +1 908-380-3555
Email: CederquistRealty@gmail.com

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Market figures reflect the latest information available from the cited sources in October 2026. Values, inventory, asking prices, and individual property results can change. Townwide figures should be used as market context rather than a valuation of a specific property.