Roughly 27,375 residents call Bergenfield home, a leafy borough tucked just outside New York City. Set within Bergen County, it regularly lands on shortlists of the finest towns to settle in across New Jersey. Before you pack the truck and open a fresh chapter here, a handful of things are worth weighing. Locals appreciate the dense yet friendly suburban feel, and most people own their homes rather than rent. Parks and dining spots dot the area too. Below we walk through what to know before planning a move to this corner of the county, and if the timing feels right, our local moving crews are ready to lend a hand.
What it costs to live here
Everyday expenses in Bergenfield land about 28 percent above the national midpoint, a figure worth folding into your budget before you commit. Wages nearby, the field you work in, and the pace of the local property market all shape the true price of settling down.
Housing is where the numbers climb most, running roughly 79 percent higher than the typical American figure. Utility bills come in around 8 percent above average, while getting around, fuel and the rest included, costs close to 10 percent more than the state norm. Filling the fridge is about 5 percent pricier than the national baseline, and medical care sits near 3 percent above what most of the country pays.
A borough built around its community
Bergenfield joined a growing list of towns that set up a Special Improvement District, or SID. Stretching a full mile down Washington Avenue from Teaneck to Dumont, this district has spent years championing the small businesses along the strip. Part of its purpose is to spotlight the fifty-plus international restaurants and markets clustered within a mile of the town’s commercial heart.
The borough is stitched together from snug, walkable pockets. On almost any street you will find a wide mix of neighbors, from young households that just arrived to longtime residents who stay put simply because they love the place. It is common to see several generations of one family living side by side. Households thinking about putting down roots and raising kids often find the town a natural fit, and older relatives making the transition can lean on our senior moving team. Plenty of people who grew up here circle back as adults to start families of their own.
The local schools
Bergenfield is served by the well-regarded Bergenfield Borough School District. Class sizes run about fifteen students to every teacher, and enrollment sits near 3,666 across grades PK through 12. On state assessments, close to 48 percent of students clear the bar in math and roughly 68 percent do so in reading. U.S. News & World Report placed Bergenfield High School 28th statewide and 707th in the country for 2018, with about 70 percent of its students taking Advanced Placement coursework.
Who lives here
The borough counts around 27,371 residents, packed at a density of roughly 9,425 people for every square mile. The median age, 40.3, edges past the national mark of 37.4, and families tend to be a touch larger, averaging 3.0 members against the U.S. norm of 2.6 per household.
A few quick figures:
- Around 52.7 percent of adults are married, while 8.1 percent are divorced.
- About 35.3 percent are married with children, and 10.1 percent are raising kids on their own.
As for the makeup of the community, residents identify as roughly 37.5 percent white, 7.2 percent black, and 28.0 percent Asian, with a very small Native American share and 0.1 percent listing another category. Around 26.3 percent claim none of those, and a modest Hispanic and Pacific Islander presence rounds out the mix at about 1.0 percent.
Weather and climate to plan around
Bergenfield sees close to 47 inches of rain in a typical year, ahead of the 38-inch national average. Snow totals around 26 inches annually, just shy of the 28-inch U.S. figure. The borough enjoys roughly 210 sunny days a year, a touch more than the 205 the country averages, and some form of precipitation, whether rain, snow, sleet, or hail, falls on about 121 days. For the record, forecasters only count precipitation once at least a hundredth of an inch reaches the ground.
A quick glance at the temperature swings:
- Snow: about 26 inches over the course of a year.
- Summer peak: highs near 85 degrees in July.
- Winter dip: lows around 26 degrees in January.
- Rain: roughly 47 inches annually.
How comfortable it feels
By the BestPlaces Comfort Index, Bergenfield scores a 7.3 out of 10, ranking it among the more agreeable towns in the state. January and February tend to feel the harshest, while the stretch spanning May, June, and September is usually the most enjoyable.
A look back at the town’s past
The town once went by Schraalenburgh, a Dutch name meaning barren knoll or hill. As late as 1894 it had no streetlights, no gas hookups, and no central water system. A wave of church and synagogue construction between 1900 and 1930 helped spark rapid expansion, and from 1930 to 1950 the population more than doubled, jumping from 8,816 to 17,647. Today the borough boasts more than 52 kilometers of resurfaced roadway alongside seventeen parks and playgrounds.
The year 1941 brought the launch of the Borough’s Civil Defense unit together with the Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Over at 07621 sits the Tunis Richard Cooper Historic Properties. The Original Mill, raised between 1841 and 1860, once turned out chairs, and the same site had operated as a gristmill before 1840. Appreciating a landmark like this takes a bit of thoughtful planning.
The Cooper Chair Factory, with a workforce of 25, stood as the leading employer in the region. Beyond their Bergenfield operation, the Coopers ran a nine-story plant and shop in New York City. A fire in 1896 or a flood in 1902 eventually took a toll on the chair works.
A little of everything
Bergenfield offers family-minded neighborhoods, lively downtown blocks, solid entertainment, standout restaurants, and plenty more. Much of the appeal comes down to the amenities, the learning opportunities, and the people who fill these streets. Whatever you are after, this Bergen County borough has a corner that fits, and when you are ready to make the move, reach out for a free estimate and let us handle the rest.
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