Garfield, NJ — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New Jersey·Garfield

Bergen County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 33,530

Garfield, NJ
Image: Wikipedia · Garfield, New Jersey
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Garfield stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 9.8% in the last year.

Median home $581,535
1-year +1.3%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$582k$299k$401k$503k$605k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

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 · monthly
$2,407/mo$1,575$2,100$2,625202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent120136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.1
Lean rent

At a 20.1 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Garfield. 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 →
Home YoY
57 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
58 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Garfield has held up across the cycle: home values at $581,535 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Garfield'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 Garfield

Garfield is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 33,530. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The population grew 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Garfield is $581,535 as of 2026-04, up 1.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Garfield average $2,407 per month, up 9.8% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.0% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 9.8% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 9.8% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Garfield (Wikipedia)

Garfield is a city in Bergen County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 32,655, an increase of 2,168 (+7.1%) from the 2010 census count of 30,487, which in turn reflected an increase of 701 (+2.4%) from the 29,786 counted in the 2000 census.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

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.

Seller

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.

Investor

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 Bergen County right now.

NWS active alerts (NJ)New Jersey Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Bergen County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Garfield

Englewood, NJ69 · RisingBayonne, NJ69 · RisingNew Brunswick, NJ68 · RisingDover, NJ68 · Rising

Run the numbers for Garfield

ToolCan I afford Garfield?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Garfield rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Garfield to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolGarfield cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
38° / 23°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 65°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
207
~57% of year
Annual precip
47″ rain
25″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

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

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Garfield listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$97,100
New Jersey state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinancePharmaLogistics

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.

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