Cinnaminson vs Cherry Hill: Which South Jersey Town Is Right for You?

On the surface, Cinnaminson and Cherry Hill sell remarkably similar stories: ranked schools, fast access to Philadelphia, and the kind of established, family-first streets South Jersey is known for. But the two towns belong to different counties, and that one fact changes the schools, the taxes, and the price points you will actually see. Cinnaminson is a compact Burlington County township of about 17,000 people with a uniform mid-$400,000s market and a River LINE station right in town. Cherry Hill is a Camden County community of nearly 75,000 with direct PATCO rail service, a regional shopping scene, and home prices that vary more by ZIP than anywhere else nearby.

This side-by-side looks at the numbers that actually decide the choice: home prices, property taxes, schools, the commute, what there is to do, and the community feel in each town. By the end you will know which one belongs at the top of your house-hunting list.

How do home prices in Cinnaminson compare with Cherry Hill?

Cinnaminson's market is compact and consistent. As of October 2026, Redfin and Movoto put the township's median sale price at about $445,000 to $449,000, with Zillow's average home value running a bit higher at about $470,078 because larger homes pull averages up. Townhouses in communities like Brynwood Square and the now-complete Cinnaminson Harbour offer the most accessible entry points, while larger single-family homes in Ramblewood, Fountain Farms, and the newer sections of town run above the median.

Cherry Hill is a different animal. The township spans three ZIP codes with real price spread: Redfin's median sale prices run about $432,500 in 08002, $527,500 in 08003, and about $470,000 in 08034. Zillow's township-wide typical value is about $426,000, but its ZIP-level figures reach about $441,000 in 08002 and about $584,000 in 08003. Older mid-century sections like Kingston Estates and Erlton still list split-levels and ranchers in the $350,000 to $500,000 range, while neighborhoods like Fox Hollow and Springdale hold the premium end of the market. In plain terms: at the entry level the two towns are close, and at the top of Cherry Hill's market you pay more for a bigger town with more going on. For the street-by-street Cinnaminson picture, the neighborhood guide is a good place to start, and the live listings show what is actually for sale in both towns today.

Which town has lower property taxes, Cinnaminson or Cherry Hill?

Cinnaminson wins on both the rate and the bill. The 2025 effective property tax rate is about 2.14 percent of market value in Cinnaminson versus about 2.60 percent in Cherry Hill, per New Jersey Division of Taxation data. The average annual residential tax bill is about $8,676 in Cinnaminson, on a home assessed at $236,478, versus about $9,874 in Cherry Hill, on a home assessed at $227,125, according to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' 2025 tax tables. On two homes of equal purchase price, Cinnaminson's lower rate produces the smaller bill.

Neither town is a bargain by national standards, and that is true across most of New Jersey, so the annual bill belongs in the budget spreadsheet either way. The point is that taxes are a real, quantifiable difference in this matchup, not a tie. The cost of living guide puts taxes, utilities, and the rest of a monthly Cinnaminson budget in one place, and the property tax appeal guide explains what to do if a bill looks too high.

Are Cherry Hill schools better than Cinnaminson schools?

On Niche's current rankings, Cherry Hill School District carries an A- overall, ranked #2 in Camden County and #84 in New Jersey, and Cherry Hill High School East is rated A, ranked #47 among New Jersey public high schools. Cinnaminson Township Public Schools hold a B+, ranked #4 in Burlington County and #100 in New Jersey, with Cinnaminson High School earning an A- and sitting at #7 among Burlington County high schools.

The caveat is that the districts are scored in different county pools, so the county ranks are not apples to apples; the state ranks are the fairer yardstick, and they put Cherry Hill modestly ahead. But a top-four finish in Burlington County is a genuinely strong system, and it is the district many Cinnaminson families move specifically for. The gap in school quality here is small next to the differences in home price, tax rate, and town size. The Cinnaminson schools guide has the program-by-program detail and test scores.

Which town has the easier commute into Philadelphia?

Cherry Hill, and it is one of its biggest advantages. The township sits about 8 to 10 miles from Center City, a drive of roughly 11 to 15 minutes to the Ben Franklin Bridge in light traffic, and PATCO's Woodcrest Station reaches 8th and Market in about 21 minutes on trains that run around the clock. Door to door, Cherry Hill rail commuters typically land in Center City in about half an hour.

Cinnaminson is close behind on driving, about 11 miles out with a roughly 17-minute drive to the bridge, and its transit story is still strong: the NJ Transit River LINE station at Broad Street on the Cinnaminson and Riverton border carries riders to Camden's Walter Rand Transportation Center in about 15 minutes, where they transfer to PATCO for the last leg across the river. NJ Transit Bus 409 adds another option for one-seat trips into the city. The River LINE is more convenient than the park-and-ride shuffle from most of Burlington County, but it is a transfer ride, while Cherry Hill's PATCO service is direct. The commute guide lays out routes, schedules, and parking for each option.

Which town has more shopping, dining, and things to do?

Cherry Hill is a regional retail hub, and there is no contest on volume. Cherry Hill Mall, one of the first enclosed malls in the United States when it opened in 1961, anchors a commercial scene that also includes the redeveloped Garden State Park town center and miles of restaurants along the Route 70 corridor. Historic Croft Farm offers trails and a preserved 18th-century farmstead for a quieter afternoon. If the equation includes malls, big-box retail, and a dining choice on every corner, Cherry Hill simply has more of all of it.

Cinnaminson's answer is smaller scale and closer to home. Shopping and dining concentrate along the Route 130 corridor, anchored by centers like Cinnaminson Commons, with local favorites including Nick's Pizza, Whistler's Inn, and Due Amici, plus Hunter's Farm & Market for produce and Thanksgiving turkeys. On the recreation side, Memorial Park, the 85-acre Taylor Wildlife Preserve along the Delaware River, and Wood Park's community events give the township a lot of green per capita. The honest framing: Cinnaminson residents enjoy Cherry Hill's retail whenever they want it, because it is a short drive away, while the reverse does not really work. The restaurants guide and the things to do guide round out the local list.

What is the community like in each town?

Cinnaminson is a tight-knit township of about 17,000 residents (2020 Census) on 8.1 square miles, where community life revolves around Wood Park's Community Day and Fall Festival, the summer concert series, swim clubs, and youth sports. Neighbors know each other, events are well attended, and the whole package reads as family-first. It is one of those places where the schools, the parks, and the civic calendar reinforce each other, which is exactly why it keeps appearing on family shortlists.

Cherry Hill is bigger in every dimension: 74,553 residents per the 2020 Census, the most populous municipality in Camden County and the 12th most populous in all of New Jersey. The township renamed itself in 1961 after the Cherry Hill Farm on whose land the mall was built, and it grew into a classic edge city, more options, more anonymity, more retail and employment within its own borders. Many families love that scale; others find the smaller township's pace easier to grip. The two towns are only a short drive apart, so plenty of buyers weigh a Cinnaminson house against a Cherry Hill house in the same house-hunting weekend.

Which town is right for you?

Choose Cherry Hill if you want the shortest commute into Philadelphia, the deepest retail and dining scene, and a bigger, more varied housing market where a starter split-level and a premium estate can both be found in town. Choose Cinnaminson if you prefer a tight-knit Burlington County township with a top-four district, an in-town River LINE station, a lower property tax rate, and a more uniform mid-$400,000s market where most buyers can see exactly what they are looking at.

The honest advice is to spend an afternoon in both. Drive the tree-lined streets of Ramblewood and the newer blocks around Cinnaminson Harbour, then walk the stores at Garden State Park and check the departures at Woodcrest. Check the live listings, run the tax math at the price point you actually shop, and see which town feels like where you want the next decade. If you are also weighing a third option, the Cinnaminson vs Moorestown comparison covers that matchup too.

Cinnaminson vs Cherry Hill: your questions, answered