Chatham Borough and Chatham Township share a common heritage and are often referred to by residents as The Chathams.  This may also be in large part due to the combining of schools in 1986 to form the highly ranked School District of the Chathams. Chatham High School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Dept. of Education.

In 2008 NJ Monthly magazine named Chatham Township #1 in their Best Places to Live edition based on it's stable population growth, open space, minimal crime and low jobless rates.  CNN and Money magazine have also sited Chatham in the top 10  for The 100 Best Places to Live in the United States in 2005.  Newsweek ranked The School District of the Chathams 183 which is in the top 20% for the Nations top high schools.  The community has a small town feel to it and this was noticed by the publication when it stated that it felt more like a "small New England town than a bustling Big Apple "burb."