Cost of living in North Caldwell, NJ — Housing, Rent & Index

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$1,151,282
Median home value
/mo
Median rent
324
Cost index (US=100)
+5.1%
Home YoY change

The median home value in North Caldwell, NJ is $1,151,282 as of 2026-04. That places North Caldwell above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 324 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in North Caldwell has climbed 5.1%, and over the past five years it has averaged +6.3% annual growth. The current price sits +0.0% from its 5-year peak in 2026-04.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in North Caldwell are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$1,151,282
1-year change+5.1%
5-year price growth+6.3%
10-year price growth+4.1%
vs 5-year peak+0.0%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How North Caldwell compares

Cost index324 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+224.3%
Population6,769
Momentum score71 (Rising)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Affordability reality

Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how North Caldwell’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.

Median rent vs income32% of local median income
Home price-to-income5.5× local median income

At $5,526/mo, rent eats about 32% of the local median household income of $208,245 — above the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.

The median home runs about 5.5× the local median income (severely stretched — a stretch even for local earners).

Daily life in North Caldwell

Climate

85°/65° summer38°/23° winter207 sunny days25″ snow/yr47″ rain/yr

Summers run mild (highs near 85°F) and winters are chilly (highs near 38°F), with about 25″ of snow a year.

Natural-hazard & insurance risk

Flood: highTornado: very lowHurricane: highWildfire: very lowEarthquake: very low

Insurance heads-up: in North Caldwell, flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance — budget for a separate NFIP/private flood policy and check the FEMA flood zone for the exact address.

Getting around

The average commute is 33 min — longer than the US average of ~27 min; 31% of workers are remote; 98% own their home.

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