Maplewood, New Jersey
Welcome to Maplewood
Maplewood prides itself on being a diverse and family-friendly community. In a number of surveys it is ranked among the most desirable places to live in the United States. The township has a downtown area alternatively known as “the village” or “Maplewood Center” with its own movie theater, several upscale and mid-scale restaurants, a small supermarket, cafés, two liquor stores, a toy store and an independent bookstore. Maplewood is served by a New Jersey Transit rail station which is named after it. The structure of the village is largely unchanged since the 1950s.
Did You Know? 
▪ Ultimate Frisbee (now called simply “Ultimate”) was invented in Maplewood in 1968 by students at Columbia High School. A plaque commemorating the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee is located in the student parking lot.
▪ Maplewood is the birthplace of the wooden golf tee, invented by William Lowell at the Maplewood Golf Club in 1921.
▪ Maplewood has been the site for several films, including I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Garden State, One True Thing, and Stepmom.
▪ In the 2007 film Gracie, the plot is set in and partially filmed in Maplewood and Columbia High School. Producer Andrew Shue and actress Elisabeth Shue both attended Columbia, and the plot is loosely based on their lives during high school.
▪ Novelist Philip Roth, who grew up in neighboring Newark refers to Maplewood in several of his novels, including Goodbye, Columbus.
History
The first European settlers arrived around 1675, and had acquired most of today’s Essex County from the Native Americans. Those who came from Newark on the trail that now corresponds to South Orange Avenue settled the area that became South Orange Village.
The apple harvest was apparently quite impressive and included “Harrison” and “Canfield” varieties. The area became known for its orchards and related industries, including cider mills and distilleries of rum, but also honey and some livestock.
When the Morris and Essex Railroad from Newark was extended to the area in 1838, a land speculator by the name of John Shedden built a railroad station in what was then called Jefferson Village and named it Maplewood. This name came to comprise areas known as Hilton, Jefferson Village, and areas previously part of Springfield. In 1868, farms were divided into parcels for residential housing. The 1920s saw significant growth in new residents and structures, foreshadowing a complete suburb.
Click here for the Maplewood 2011 Full Year Market Trends and click here for the 2012 Market Report.
Schools
Clinton Elementary School
Columbia Senior High School
Jefferson Elementary School
Seth Boyden Elementary School
Tuscan Elementary School
Real Estate Market Stats
Zillow Home Value Index: $373,300
Zillow Home Value Index
Owners vs. Renters
Home Size in Square Feet
Year Built
| Local | National | |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow Home Value Index | $373,300 | $146,200 |
| Median Single Family Home Value | $374,600 | $146,400 |
| Median 3-Bedroom Home Value | $373,500 | $140,900 |
| Median 4-Bedroom Home Value | $465,500 | $231,000 |
| Percent Homes Decreasing | 61% | 55.8% |
| Percent Listing Price Reduction | 37.2% | 28.9% |
| Median List Price Per Sq Ft | $206 | $92 |
| Median List Price | $399,900 | $185,000 |
| Median Sale Price | $468,500 | $176,500 |
| Homes Recently Sold | 12 | 267,974 |
| Property Tax | $12,275 | $2,105 |
| Turnover (Sold Within Last Yr.) | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| Median Value Per Sq Ft | $224 | $106 |
| 1-Yr. Change | -8.8% | -3.1% |
| Homes For Sale By Owner | 1 | 49,891 |
| New Construction | 0 | 44,219 |
| Foreclosures | 49 | 518,074 |
Walk Score