Passaic County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 90,322
Where Clifton stands
At or near all-time high.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 20.2 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Clifton. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Clifton has held up across the cycle: home values at $607,746 with +7.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Clifton's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.
About Clifton
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 90,322. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The median home value in Clifton is $607,746 as of 2026-04, up 3.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Clifton average $2,504 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.5%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Clifton (Wikipedia)
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Criss-crossed by several major highways, the city is a regional commercial hub for North Jersey, and bedroom suburb of New York City, in the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city retained its position as the state's 11th-most-populous municipality, just behind tenth-ranked Trenton, and well ahead of Cherry Hill in twelfth place, with a population of 90,296, reflecting an overall increase of 6,160 (+7.3%) from the 2010 census count of 84,136, which in turn reflected an overall increase of 5,464 (+6.9%) from the 78,672 counted in the 2000 census. The Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 88,461 for 2023, making Clifton the 394th-most populous municipality in the nation.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Passaic County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Passaic County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Cities like Clifton
Run the numbers for Clifton
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the New York-Newark-Jersey City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Clifton listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Truck slams into building in Clifton, NJPIX11 · 1d ago
- Woman charged with theft for taking dog outside N.J. home, police sayCBS News · 1w ago
- See photos from the funeral for Clifton Councilman Bill GibsonBergen Record · 1d ago
- Zuhtu Ibis Obituary (2001) – Clifton, NJPennLive.com · 1w ago
- Boys Volleyball: Eastside Ghosts Defeat Clifton Mustangs in Three-Set Boys Volleyball MatchTAPinto · 11h ago
- Man arrested in one of largest drug busts in New Jersey history6abc Philadelphia · 3w ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Clifton
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.