If you’re unable to find anything in Mendham I would consider Chester and Long Valley. Both have excellent schools, with Long Valley being closer in commuting distance to Hackettstown (5-15 minutes depending on if you’re on the mountain side or the valley side). I’ve lived here about 3 years and love it- very peaceful, safe town close to outdoor activities, farms and fresh food, etc. Don’t have kids but the schools are rated excellent and you get a bit more house for your budget. That being said it is definitely more rural than some other towns.

If you would prefer more options in terms of activities/restaurants/more people, I would recommend going as far south as Readington/Bridgewater areas which would put you at approx. a 40 minute commute. Bridgewater has a ton going on (shopping, restaurants, Life Time gym, hotels, Wegmans/Whole Foods, great schools, etc) as well as lots of companies headquartered there. It’s always been a competitive housing market there and you’ll still get less house for your money, but the upside is there is a ton more in the area than, in my opinion, a town like Mendham. I grew up in Bridgewater and still work in the area and would highly recommend it to raise a family. Readington, Clinton and surrounding towns are also very nice, however more rural than Bridgewater and less diverse, and still about a 40 min commuting distance to Hackettstown. Upside is you get a little more house for your money than Bridgewater.