Is Bergen County a good place to live if you work in Manhattan?

For many people who work in Manhattan, yes. The towns Slava covers are suburban, with public high schools that rank among New Jersey's best, and scheduled morning-peak trains reach New York Penn Station in 47 to 77 minutes depending on the town, per NJ Transit's timetables. The trade-off is higher property tax in exchange for no New York City income tax.

Do I still pay New York City income tax if I move to New Jersey?

No. New York City personal income tax applies to city residents; New York State says nonresidents of the city are not liable for it. New York State still taxes wages you earn working in New York, and New Jersey credits residents for income tax paid to another state on the same income.

What do homes cost in northern Bergen County?

Over the past 12 months of recorded sales, medians in the towns Slava covers ran from $595K in Mahwah to $4.25M in Alpine. See each town's market report for the current numbers.

Moving from NYC to Bergen County, NJ: Towns, Commute, Taxes

By Slava Zborovsky · Updated October 22, 2026

Northern Bergen County trades city space for a yard and a top-ranked public high school, about an hour from Midtown. The towns Slava covers run from a $595K median sale in Mahwah to $4.25M in Alpine over the past 12 months, the fastest scheduled morning trains reach New York Penn Station in 47-56 minutes from Ridgewood, and leaving the city ends New York City income tax while property tax goes up.

Three kinds of town

The Saddle River corridor (Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, Franklin Lakes, Mahwah, Allendale and Wyckoff) is estates, larger lots and the Main Line and Bergen County Line trains.

The Pascack Valley (Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Park Ridge, Montvale, Hillsdale, River Vale, Emerson and Washington Township) is small downtowns along the Pascack Valley Line, with the Pascack Valley and Westwood Regional schools.

The Northern Valley (Alpine, Tenafly and Old Tappan) includes the two towns closest to the George Washington Bridge by road, Tenafly and Alpine. Neither has a train station; Tenafly lists buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

What homes cost

In the past 12 months the state recorded 7,439 home sales across Bergen County, 365 of them at $2 million or more. In the towns below, here is the median sale and how many homes changed hands. Every figure comes from New Jersey's deed records and updates monthly in our market reports.

Alpine: Median sale, 12 months$4.25MSales15High school districtTenafly
Saddle River: Median sale, 12 months$2.45MSales51High school districtNorthern Highlands
Franklin Lakes: Median sale, 12 months$1.72MSales114High school districtRamapo Indian Hills
Tenafly: Median sale, 12 months$1.42MSales141High school districtTenafly
Upper Saddle River: Median sale, 12 months$1.4MSales109High school districtNorthern Highlands
Ho-Ho-Kus: Median sale, 12 months$1.27MSales59High school districtNorthern Highlands
Woodcliff Lake: Median sale, 12 months$1.2MSales53High school districtPascack Valley
Wyckoff: Median sale, 12 months$1.16MSales139High school districtRamapo Indian Hills
Ridgewood: Median sale, 12 months$1.16MSales208High school districtRidgewood
Old Tappan: Median sale, 12 months$1.13MSales61High school districtNorthern Valley
River Vale: Median sale, 12 months$943KSales112High school districtPascack Valley
Allendale: Median sale, 12 months$900KSales64High school districtNorthern Highlands
Hillsdale: Median sale, 12 months$856KSales90High school districtPascack Valley
Montvale: Median sale, 12 months$840KSales77High school districtPascack Valley
Park Ridge: Median sale, 12 months$800KSales101High school districtPark Ridge
Washington Township: Median sale, 12 months$775KSales94High school districtWestwood Regional
Emerson: Median sale, 12 months$750KSales67High school districtEmerson
Westwood: Median sale, 12 months$711KSales68High school districtWestwood Regional
Mahwah: Median sale, 12 months$595KSales310High school districtMahwah

Source: NJ Division of Taxation SR1A deed records, residential market sales.

Town	Median sale, 12 months	Sales	High school district
Alpine	$4.25M	15	Tenafly
Saddle River	$2.45M	51	Northern Highlands
Franklin Lakes	$1.72M	114	Ramapo Indian Hills
Tenafly	$1.42M	141	Tenafly
Upper Saddle River	$1.4M	109	Northern Highlands
Ho-Ho-Kus	$1.27M	59	Northern Highlands
Woodcliff Lake	$1.2M	53	Pascack Valley
Wyckoff	$1.16M	139	Ramapo Indian Hills
Ridgewood	$1.16M	208	Ridgewood
Old Tappan	$1.13M	61	Northern Valley
River Vale	$943K	112	Pascack Valley
Allendale	$900K	64	Northern Highlands
Hillsdale	$856K	90	Pascack Valley
Montvale	$840K	77	Pascack Valley
Park Ridge	$800K	101	Park Ridge
Washington Township	$775K	94	Westwood Regional
Emerson	$750K	67	Emerson
Westwood	$711K	68	Westwood Regional
Mahwah	$595K	310	Mahwah

Source: NJ Division of Taxation SR1A deed records, residential market sales.

Getting into the city

Two NJ Transit lines serve these towns. The Main Line and Bergen County Line stop in Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, Mahwah and Allendale; the Pascack Valley Line stops in Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Park Ridge, Montvale, Hillsdale and Emerson. Both run to Hoboken, where PATH continues to the World Trade Center, and connect at Secaucus Junction for New York Penn Station.

Tenafly and Alpine have no rail station; Tenafly lists NJ Transit and Rockland Coaches buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Drivers cross the George Washington Bridge, 6.3 road miles from Tenafly at the closest. Our commuting guide has every town's scheduled train time.

What changes on your taxes

New York State's tax department is plain about it: "Nonresidents of New York City are not liable for New York City personal income tax." If you keep working in New York, the state still taxes the wages you earn there, and New Jersey gives residents a credit so the same income is not taxed twice.

Property tax is the other side of the ledger. The average 2025 residential tax bill was $14,200 in Bergen County and $10,340 statewide, and in these towns it ran from $10,236 in Mahwah to $25,128 in Tenafly. The full comparison is in New Jersey vs New York taxes.

Buying a home in New Jersey works differently

Contracts prepared by real estate agents for one to four family homes carry an attorney review clause: either side's attorney may review and disapprove the contract within 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays (N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.2(g)). If no attorney disapproves, it becomes binding when the period ends.

The state's transfer charges fall on the seller. New Jersey imposes the Realty Transfer Fee on the seller when the deed is recorded, and since July 10, 2025 the old buyer-paid 1% "mansion tax" on sales over $1 million is a Graduated Percent Fee paid by the seller. Our closing-cost calculator shows both at any price.

Your first 60 days

New Jersey gives new residents 60 days to move their driver's license and car registration over, or less if either expires first. The moving checklist covers that, your last New York tax return, and the property tax programs that depend on dates.

Slava has sold homes in northern Bergen County since becoming a licensed New Jersey broker in 2007. If you are weighing towns, tell him what you need and he will walk you through the trade-offs in person.

Is Bergen County a good place to live if you work in Manhattan?: For many people who work in Manhattan, yes. The towns Slava covers are suburban, with public high schools that rank among New Jersey's best, and scheduled morning-peak trains reach New York Penn Station in 47 to 77 minutes depending on the town, per NJ Transit's timetables. The trade-off is higher property tax in exchange for no New York City income tax.
Do I still pay New York City income tax if I move to New Jersey?: No. New York City personal income tax applies to city residents; New York State says nonresidents of the city are not liable for it. New York State still taxes wages you earn working in New York, and New Jersey credits residents for income tax paid to another state on the same income.
What do homes cost in northern Bergen County?: Over the past 12 months of recorded sales, medians in the towns Slava covers ran from $595K in Mahwah to $4.25M in Alpine. See each town's market report for the current numbers.

Sources

Moving from NYC to Bergen County, NJ: Towns, Commute, Taxes and Prices