Lawrenceville, NJ is a good place to live for people who want to be next to Princeton, with a small-town Main Street and a wider range of home prices than Princeton itself. The village is part of Lawrence Township in Mercer County, between Princeton and Trenton. These are the reasons buyers most often give for choosing it:
The township borders Princeton, West Windsor, Hopewell Township, Ewing, Hamilton, and Trenton, and many residents commute to Philadelphia or New York.
Lawrence Township Public Schools serve about 3,700 students in seven schools, and the town is also home to The Lawrenceville School, Notre Dame High School, and Rider University.
Big employers are close. Bristol Myers Squibb, Educational Testing Service, and the New Jersey Lottery headquarters are all in the township.
The village has a walkable Main Street with shops, restaurants, and a summer farmers' market.
There's room outside, including Colonial Lake Park, the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, and the D&R Canal towpath.
Housing covers a wide range: condos and townhomes, older single-family neighborhoods, new construction at Old York Estates, and several 55+ communities.
It isn't perfect. Route 1 traffic is a regular local complaint, and homes near the village and the Princeton side of town usually cost more. In 2025, 297 homes sold in Lawrence Township, according to Bright MLS.
Fred Gomberg has lived in Lawrenceville for 30 years and serves on the board of Lawrenceville Main Street. He works with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach in Princeton and helps buyers compare the neighborhoods inside the township before they start touring.
