Union County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 32,050
Where Westfield stands
At or near all-time high. home values up 8.5% in the last year. averaging 7.7% annual growth over 5 years.
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 39.0 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Westfield for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Westfield has averaged 7.7% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+8.5% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.
Westfield'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 Westfield
Westfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 32,050. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Westfield is $1,291,636 as of 2026-04, up 8.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Westfield average $2,758 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+3.0%). The composite momentum score is 76 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Westfield (Wikipedia)
Westfield is a town in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located within the heart of the Rahway Valley region, Westfield is a bustling commercial and cultural hub in northern–central New Jersey, and it is a wealthy bedroom community of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. In March 2018, Bloomberg ranked Westfield as the 99th highest-income place in the United States, and the 18th highest-income location in New Jersey. According to a 2014 nationwide survey, Westfield was ranked as the 30th-safest city to live in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
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 Union County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Union County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Cities like Westfield
Run the numbers for Westfield
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 Westfield 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
- Westfield Under Severe Thunderstorm Warning Wednesday EveningTAPinto · 5h ago
- Financial Relief Expected For Westfield ResidentsPatch · 9h ago
- Westfield ice rink partial roof collapse in New Jersey; no injuries reportedABC7 New York · 2mo ago
- Fake ID Attempt Fails At Westfield BankPatch · 11h ago
- Obituary for Frank O GaldiHiggins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home · 3mo ago
- Westfield Police: Fraud Cost Residents, Businesses Thousands Last WeekTAPinto · 12h 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 Westfield
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.