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

All states·New Jersey·Passaic

Passaic County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 70,722

Image: Wikipedia · Passaic, New Jersey

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Passaic stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.5% in the last year.

Median home $555,666

1-year +1.5%

5-yr CAGR +6.7%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

92/100

Walker's paradise

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

76/100

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

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

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

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.4

Lean rent

At a 21.4 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Passaic. 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

73 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

46 · w16%

Rent YoY

82 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

83 · w10%

Long thesis

Passaic has held up across the cycle: home values at $555,666 with +6.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Passaic'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 Passaic

Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 70,722. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The median home value in Passaic is $555,666 as of 2026-04, up 1.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Passaic average $2,168 per month, up 5.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.7% 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 5.5% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Passaic (Wikipedia)

Passaic is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 16th-most-populous municipality, with a population of 70,537, falling behind Bayonne, an increase of 756 (+1.1%) from the 2010 census count of 69,781, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,920 residents (+2.8%) from the 2000 census population of 67,861. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 68,903 for 2023, making it the 552nd-most populous municipality in the nation. Among cities with more than 50,000 people, Passaic was the fifth-most densely populated municipality in the United States, with more than 22,000 people per square mile.

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

City facts

MayorHector C. Lora (term ends June 30, 2029)

Area3.24 sq mi

Elevation98 ft

Settled1679

Density22514.2/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

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 Passaic County right now.

NWS active alerts (NJ)New Jersey Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

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.