The Town Files

The Hills, New Jersey

Community in Somerset County · population 11,410 (2020 Census)

Map: where The Hills is in New JerseyThe Hills
Median home
$577,000
Household income
$154,564
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 86°
Snow a year
21 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
47.1

The Hills is a community of 11,410 people in Somerset County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $577,000, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks more upscale than 92% of New Jersey towns, better for young professionals than 85% of New Jersey towns, better for retirees than 70% of New Jersey towns.

How The Hills ranks

Percentile among New Jersey towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Jersey towns.

The Hills lifestyle rankings vs other New Jersey townsRetirement70th pctFamilies56th pctQuiet50th pctWalkability55th pctFirst-time buyers38th pctYoung professionals85th pctVibrancy58th pctHip & trendy45th pctCollege town64th pctUpscale92nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit50th pctDriving27th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in The Hills is worth $577,000, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $154,564, which is more affordable than 53% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $2,376 a month. 83.0% of households own their home.

The Hills vs Somerset County vs typical New Jersey townThe HillsSomerset CountyTypical New Jersey townHome value$577,000$552,100$435,600Household income$154,564$140,374$111,891Monthly rent$2,376$2,033$1,774
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Jersey towns with 500+ people.
HousingThe HillsTypical New Jersey town
Median home value$577,000$435,600
Median rent$2,376$1,774
Median household income$154,564$111,891
Home value ÷ income3.7×3.8×
Homeownership83.0%80.8%
Median year built19901969
Seasonal / vacation homes0.5%—

Who lives in The Hills

PeopleThe HillsTypical New Jersey town
Median age47.142.7
Age 65 and over20.0%18.3%
Under 1818.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher74.0%44.1%
Below the poverty line3.8%5.7%
Veterans4.0%—
Born outside the U.S.32.7%—
Work from home30.3%16.3%
Average commute36.5 min30.4 min
Homes with broadband98.7%94.6%

Weather in The Hills

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 19.4°F. About 46.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 21.0 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.

The Hills monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°19°Jan41°20°Feb50°27°Mar62°36°Apr72°46°May81°56°Jun86°62°Jul83°60°Aug77°53°Sep64°41°Oct54°31°Nov43°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.56.82.86.74.13.64.00.23.44.34.73.74.34.30.13.20.14.43.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Somerville 4 Nw station (3.2 mi away); snow from Bound Brook 2W (7.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of The Hills since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 26, 2023 about 4.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 26, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of The Hills by decade01950s11960s01970s11980s01990s12000s32010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 17, 2007.

Severe weather in Somerset County since 1996

Storm events in Somerset County since 1996 by typeHail38Heat62Flood133Drought42Dense Fog35Lightning37Heavy Rain42Flash Flood94
NOAA Storm Events Database, Somerset County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Somerset County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 5, 2021HurricaneDR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
September 2, 2021HurricaneEM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
March 25, 2020BiologicalDR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3451: Covid-19
June 8, 2018Severe StormDR-4368: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm

Jobs and pay in Somerset County

Somerset County had 190,468 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $106,418 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in The Hills itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.

Largest industries in Somerset CountyProfessional & technical serv…25,627 jobs · $162,074Health care & social assistan…24,063 jobs · $61,905Retail17,015 jobs · $44,794Manufacturing15,552 jobs · $127,994Administrative & support12,950 jobs · $71,948Hotels & restaurants11,880 jobs · $32,905
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Somerset County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Somerset 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near The Hills

The Hills questions

Is The Hills, New Jersey a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, The Hills scores better for retirees than 70% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 50%. 20.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.1).

How much does a house cost in The Hills?

The median owner-occupied home in The Hills is valued at $577,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $154,564, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $2,376 a month.

What is the weather like in The Hills?

July highs average 85.5°F and January lows 19.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.7 inches of precipitation a year and 21.0 inches of snow.

Does The Hills get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of The Hills since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 26, 2023. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to The Hills's Census boundary (GEOID 3472635). Comparisons use the median of New Jersey towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.