Stanhope offers a supportive community, lakefront homes and park space
Arcing around the northern side of Lake Musconetcong, Stanhope is a suburban borough that’s overflowing with a sense of community. “It’s a small-town vibe. Everybody knows your name, everybody knows something about you,” says Nicole Haslett, a Realtor at Keller Williams Metropolitan who used to teach at the local elementary school and has been selling homes in the area for 13 years. Even when residents don’t know each other, Haslett says Stanhope is the kind of community where people support each other. “There was a kid that was really sick, and the whole town came together and supported that family and supported that kid, and I thought that was really cool,” she says. “It’s a special area that, once people find it, they want to stay.”
Explore the Hopatcong Farmers Market’s vibrant selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The beach at Horseshoe Lake is the best part of summer in Succasunna, NJ.
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Hiking trails, local Little League and kayaking on Lake Musconetcong
Stanhope has several hiking trails through its wooded center. The Lenape Valley Little League is based out of the borough, and athletes here have access to several baseball, softball and soccer fields, plus one football field, where local teams practice and play games. Lake Musconetcong Park has a little playground and a dock where residents can launch kayaks or sit and read. There are also multiple spots around the lake suited for fishing from the bank, and the lake holds a variety of species, including largemouth bass, catfish, chain pickerel and trout. Lake Musconetcong is also popular for kayaking and paddleboarding, and even ice skating if the ice gets thick enough, but it doesn’t allow motorboats or swimming. When residents want to swim, jet ski or boat, it’s just a 3-mile drive to Lake Hopatcong.
Lake Musconetcong Park in Stanhope, NJ, has a playground, picnic tables and lake access.
Enjoying a walk on the many trails in C.O. Johnson Park in Byram.
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Most houses date to the 1950s or later
Haslett explains that many of Stanhope’s colonials, ranch-style homes and hi-ranches were built during a building boom between the 1950s and 1980s, though there are certainly still houses dating to the early 1900s and homes that were built within the last 15 or 20 years. The median price of a home in Stanhope falls at about $430,000. Single-family homes can start as low as $330,000 if they need major updating or renovations, and most turnkey homes max out at around $570,000. Stanhope has some lakefront homes with private docks, but these homes rarely come on the market. Only one has sold recently, going for about $630,000. There are also a small number of townhouses in the area, and they typically cost between $230,000 and $330,000. “You can get a really nice home in Stanhope for a really great price,” Haslett says, though she says that taxes are higher here than in some nearby neighborhoods because Stanhope has its own elementary and middle school.
Tree-lined streets and well-kept homes showcase Stanhope’s peaceful rhythm and pride of ownership in every detail.
Stanhope’s spacious ranch homes offer privacy, greenery, and the perfect backdrop for peaceful suburban living.
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Highly rated schools in Stanhope
Children in Stanhope can attend Valley Road School from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Niche gives the school a B and lists it among the top five best middle schools in Sussex County. Students may then move on to Lenape Valley Regional High School, which has a B-plus. The school is a 2024 Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School of Excellence and makes Niche’s list of top three public high schools in the county. Students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sports and activities, including mock trial, Dungeons & Dragons and literary clubs.
Valley Road School is a public pre-k, elementary & middle school located in Stanhope, NJ.
Recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, Enape Valley Regional High School earned a B+ and was named a 2024 Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School of Excellence.
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Restaurants in historic buildings, The Stanhope House for live music
Stanhope has a small collection of restaurants and businesses along Main Street. Haslett says Bell’s Mansion is one of the most recognizable and popular restaurants in the borough. It was built on the top of a hill in 1835, giving it sweeping views of the Morris Canal. Today, it serves traditional American dishes both indoors and outdoors. Black Forest Inn is another more upscale restaurant in Stanhope serving German cuisine. There are also more relaxed eateries like Sal’s Pizzeria. In the evenings, The Stanhope House is a club and restaurant that offers live music in a reportedly haunted 1790s building. For groceries, residents typically drive a mile or two to a ShopRite in Netcong or Byram.
Daily errands are a breeze with everything from groceries to coffee just minutes from home in Stanhope’s central shopping hub.
Bell’s Mansion anchors the neighborhood with timeless elegance, where history, charm, and community spirit beautifully intertwine.
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Regular holiday events and the Stanhope Fall Festival
Haslett says that Stanhope is known for throwing celebrations for holidays, including an Easter egg hunt and a holiday tree lighting celebration that involves pictures with Santa, hot cocoa and live music. The Stanhope Fall Festival is another annual event that offers local vendors, food trucks and prizes.
Easy highway access, nearby NJ train station and hospital
Stanhope has easy access to state Route 183 and U.S. Route 206, the latter of which leads to Interstate 80. U.S. Route 46 is also just a few minutes away. Haslett says that all these highways make it easy for residents to drive where they need to go. Less than a mile away, Netcong has a New Jersey Transit train station. From there, it’s about a two-hour ride to Manhattan’s Penn Station. St. Clare’s Dover Hospital is 10 miles away.
Written By
Christina Norwood
Photography Contributed By
Elma Kukaj
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Michele Klug,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Stanhope, NJ sell after 63 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Stanhope, NJ over the last 12 months is $285,000, down 14% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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