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

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Bergen County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 26,701

Investors
Ridgewood, NJ
Image: Wikipedia · Ridgewood, New Jersey
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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77
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Ridgewood stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 7.9% in the last year. averaging 8.0% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $1,226,046
1-year +7.9%
5-yr CAGR +8.0%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$1226k$690k$885k$1080k$1275k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
47/100
Marginal for remote
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 vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 24.4
Lean rent

At a 24.4 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Ridgewood. 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
85 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
79 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
59 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
62 · w10%
Long thesis

Ridgewood has averaged 8.0% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+7.9% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Ridgewood'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 Ridgewood

Ridgewood is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 26,701. 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 Ridgewood is $1,226,046 as of 2026-04, up 7.9% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Ridgewood average $4,183 per month. The composite momentum score is 77 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.0% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Trend still working: prices up 7.9% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Premium territory: $1,226,046 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Ridgewood (Wikipedia)

Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Ridgewood is a suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the village's population was 25,979, an increase of 1,021 (+4.1%) from the 2010 census count of 24,958, which in turn reflected an increase of 22 (+0.1%) from 24,936 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 Ridgewood

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Run the numbers for Ridgewood

ToolCan I afford Ridgewood?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Ridgewood rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Ridgewood to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolRidgewood 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 Ridgewood 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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