Rutherford
NJ
Average Sales Price
$635,882
Median Sales Price
$620,000
Population
17,740
Total Listings
75
Living in Rutherford
Park Avenue. William Carlos Williams. 8 Miles to Midtown.
Bergen County's Most Literary Borough.
Everything you need to know before making Rutherford, NJ home.
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→Rutherford is Bergen County's most literary borough — 2.78 square miles, 8 miles west of Midtown Manhattan, built around a tree-lined Park Avenue that functions as one of Bergen County's most genuinely walkable main streets. William Carlos Williams — the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and physician — was born here in 1883 and lived at 9 Ridge Road, at the corner of Park Avenue, for most of his life, writing while maintaining his medical practice. His house is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Williams Center for the Performing Arts — two live theaters, three cinemas, an open-air meeting gallery, built around the 1920s Rivoli vaudeville theater, two blocks from Williams's home — opened in 1982 in his honor and has been the cultural anchor of Park Avenue ever since. Rutherford Station (opened December 4, 1833 — one of New Jersey's oldest continuously operating rail stations, 1898 building on the National Register) sits at the end of Park Avenue at Station Square, where NJ Transit buses run every 20 minutes and the train reaches Hoboken in 15–20 minutes and Penn Station in 30 minutes.
The school district is DFG GH, 11.3:1, 5 schools, 2,544 students. Rutherford High School (56 Elliott Place, Bulldogs, Navy Blue and White, est. 1922, 727 students, 10.6:1). The market reflects the borough's inner-ring positioning: Redfin $798K (+15.6% YoY, March 2026); Movoto list $795K with an 18-day DOM (April 2026). True SFH range approximately $650K–$900K. The 2024 average tax bill is $13,645 on a 3.121% rate. The median household income is $143,153. 17.2% of residents use public transit — one of Bergen County's highest transit ridership rates for a residential community, reflecting the borough's NJ Transit infrastructure and walkable station adjacency. Rutherford is what Bergen County's inner ring looks like when a walkable downtown, a Pulitzer Prize poet, and a 190-year-old train station all share the same mile of Park Avenue.
🚂
Rutherford Station — Opened 1833 · NRHP
Hoboken ~15–20 min · Penn Station ~30 min · 640/day
🎭
Williams Center · Park Avenue · William Carlos Williams
2 theaters · 3 cinemas · Pulitzer poet birthplace
🏫
DFG GH · 11.3:1 · Bulldogs HS · Est. 1922
5 schools · 2,544 students · 10.6:1 HS
🗽
8 Miles to Midtown Manhattan
$143K median HH income · 17.2% transit riders
🍽️
Park Ave — Bistros · Cafés · Wine Shops · Mile-Long
18-day DOM · $795K median · +15.6% YoY
🏛️
Meadowlands Museum · Yereance-Berry House · NRHP
2.78 sq mi · Italian 13.9% · Polish 6.5% · walkable
Commute & Connectivity
Getting There From Here
Rutherford Station — opened 1833, 8 miles from Midtown — delivers Hoboken Terminal in 15–20 minutes and Penn Station in 30 minutes, while NJ Transit buses run every 20 minutes on Park Avenue. One of Bergen County's strongest transit-to-downtown combinations.
Hoboken Terminal (Train)
NJ Transit Main Line · Rutherford Station · Park Ave
~15–20
minutes by train
Penn Station NYC (Train)
Main Line → Secaucus Junction → Penn Station
~30
minutes by train
NYC Port Authority (Bus)
NJ Transit buses every 20 min · Park Ave circle
~30–40
minutes by bus
Newark Liberty Airport
Via NJ Tpk (East Rutherford) · ~8 miles
~12–18
minutes by car
Meadowlands / MetLife Stadium
Via NJ Tpk / Rt-3 · East Rutherford adjacent
~5–10
minutes by car
Public Schools
Education That Raises Property Values
Rutherford School District: PreK–12, 5 schools, 2,544 students, 11.3:1, DFG GH — including Rutherford High School, the Bulldogs, established 1922, 727 students, 10.6:1, at 56 Elliott Place.
| School | Grades | Type | Student:Teacher | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Schools (3 schools) Rutherford School District · 176 Park Ave · PreK–5 · DFG GH |
PreK – 5 | Public | 11.3 : 1 | DFG GH · B+ |
| Lincoln School (Middle) Rutherford School District · Grades 6–8 |
6 – 8 | Public | 11.3 : 1 | B+ |
| Rutherford High School 56 Elliott Place · Bulldogs · Navy & White · Est. 1922 · 727 students |
9 – 12 | Public | 10.6 : 1 | DFG GH · B+ |
Rutherford School District: PreK–12 · 5 schools · 2,544 students (2023–24) · 11.3:1 · DFG GH · 225.5 FTE faculty. Rutherford HS: 56 Elliott Place · Bulldogs · Navy Blue and White · est. 1922 · 727 students (2024–25) · 10.6:1 · North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. Bergen County Academies (BCA) accessible for qualifying students.
Neighborhood Life
What Makes Rutherford Rutherford
Explore the mile-long Park Avenue with the Williams Center's two theaters and three cinemas, the 1833 train station at Station Square, the William Carlos Williams birthplace at 9 Ridge Road, the Meadowlands Museum's Yereance-Berry House, and the inner-ring Bergen County community where a Pulitzer Prize poet practiced medicine while the trains ran every hour.
Park Avenue — Bergen County's Most Literary Mile
Park Avenue is Rutherford's mile-long commercial spine — tree-lined, lamp-post-dotted, and lined with eclectic bistros, gourmet cafés, wine shops, salons, music conservatories, and local retailers that serve a community of ~19,000 where the median household income is $143,153 and 17.2% commute by public transit through the station at its base. The Childs Dreyfus Group described it as "the spine that keeps the small enclave robust, perfectly postured" — a walkable main street where the train station at Station Square, the Williams Center for the Performing Arts two blocks off the avenue, and the WCW birthplace a block away give the commercial corridor a cultural depth that most suburban main streets lack entirely. Park Avenue is Rutherford's reason to come home.
Park Ave · Mile-Long · Bistros · Cafés · Wine Shops · Music Conservatories · Walkable
Williams Center for the Performing Arts
The Williams Center — two live theaters, three cinemas, an open-air meeting gallery, built around the 1920s Rivoli vaudeville theater and reopened in 1982 — is the performing arts anchor of Rutherford's downtown and one of Bergen County's most distinctive inner-ring cultural institutions. Named for William Carlos Williams (Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and physician, born in Rutherford 1883), the Center hosts concerts, ballet, opera, children's theater, and independent cinema programming that serves both Rutherford's community and the broader Bergen-Passaic-Hudson metro area. Two blocks from Williams's house at 9 Ridge Road. The Center is what distinguishes Rutherford's downtown from every other Bergen County main street: it has a genuine performing arts institution at its center.
Williams Center · 2 Theaters · 3 Cinemas · Rivoli 1920s · Performing Arts · Downtown Anchor
Coffee Culture & Café Life
Park Avenue's café culture reflects the borough's young professional and commuter character — 17.2% use public transit, and the train station at the avenue's base generates consistent morning and evening commuter foot traffic that sustains coffee shops, bakeries, and neighborhood cafés. For a community where the median age is 40 and the median household income is $143,153, Park Avenue's café-and-bistro character represents the daily quality-of-life texture that differentiates Rutherford from neighboring Lyndhurst, Hasbrouck Heights, and East Rutherford — none of which have Park Avenue's walkable main street depth.
Cafés · Coffee · Bakeries · Commuter Foot Traffic · Station Adjacent · Daily Life
Bistros & Restaurants — Inner-Ring Dining Scene
Rutherford's dining scene reflects its inner-ring position — 8 miles from Midtown Manhattan and adjacent to the Meadowlands sports complex — combined with the cultural investment of a borough that named its performing arts center after a Pulitzer Prize poet. Italian restaurants reflecting the 13.9% Italian ancestry, American bistros, and international dining options along Park Avenue and the surrounding streets serve the borough's professional community and the theatergoers from across Bergen County who come to the Williams Center for performances. The combination of walkable restaurant access and a performing arts venue creates the pre-theater / post-show dining dynamic that most suburban downtowns cannot organically sustain.
Italian 13.9% · Bistros · Pre-Theater Dining · Park Ave · Williams Center Adjacent
William Carlos Williams — Rutherford's Poet in Residence
William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) was born in Rutherford and returned after his education to practice medicine and write poetry from his home at 9 Ridge Road for 50 years. His most famous works — including Paterson (his epic poem about the nearby city and falls) and "The Red Wheelbarrow" — were written at the intersection of Ridge Road and Park Avenue. His house is on the National Register of Historic Places (added 1973). The Williams Center was built in his honor. The Academy of American Poets notes: "You are never far from Rutherford in any of Williams's poems." For a 2.78-square-mile borough, having a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who lived there for 80 years and wove every street, river, and railroad track into his life's work is a cultural identity that no amount of municipal rebranding could replicate.
William Carlos Williams · 1883–1963 · 9 Ridge Road · NRHP · Pulitzer · Paterson
Meadowlands Museum & Yereance-Berry House
The Meadowlands Museum — located in the Yereance-Berry House at 91 Crane Avenue, a 19th-century stone house on the National Register of Historic Places (added 1983) — has served as the regional history museum for the Rutherford and Meadowlands area since 1961. The museum's focus on the ecology, archaeology, and human history of the Hackensack Meadowlands reflects Rutherford's position at the literal edge of the Meadowlands landscape — the Hackensack River borders the borough's southeastern edge. The Rutherford Downhill Derby (started 2017, gravity-powered cart racing) and the Rutherford Multicultural Festival reflect the borough's ongoing community cultural investment alongside its 19th-century institutional heritage.
Meadowlands Museum · Yereance-Berry House · NRHP · Hackensack River · Regional History
Rutherford Station — Opened December 4, 1833 · NRHP
Rutherford Station (Park Avenue at Orient Way, Union Avenue, and Erie Avenue) opened December 4, 1833 — one of New Jersey's oldest continuously operating rail stations. The current station building, designed in Renaissance/Queen Anne style by architect Charles W. Buchholz, was built in 1898 and is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. The station sits at Station Square, where Park Avenue culminates at the downtown circle. NJ Transit buses run every 20 minutes. Average weekday boardings: 640 (2024). Hoboken Terminal approximately 15–20 minutes; Penn Station via Secaucus approximately 30 minutes. The station is walkable from essentially every residential address in Rutherford.
1833 Station · 1898 Building · NRHP · Hoboken ~15 min · Penn ~30 min · Walkable
Rutherford's Parks — Passaic River Border & Hackensack River Access
Rutherford's park system benefits from the borough's river border positions: the Passaic River to the west provides waterway access and natural landscape along the Clifton/Passaic border; the Hackensack River to the southeast borders Secaucus. The borough's municipal parks include athletic fields, playgrounds, and community facilities serving the dense inner-ring community of ~19,000. The waterway character that the rivers provide distinguishes Rutherford's natural landscape from neighboring communities without river borders.
Passaic River Border · Hackensack River SE · Borough Parks · Athletic Fields
MetLife Stadium & Meadowlands Complex (~5–10 min)
MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, ~5–10 minutes by car) is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets — the Meadowlands sports complex that includes MetLife Stadium, the American Dream entertainment complex, and the broader Meadowlands Sports Complex infrastructure. For Rutherford residents, the Giants/Jets stadium being 5–10 minutes away means NFL Sunday is genuinely local — a proximity that most New York-area suburbs cannot claim. The Meadowlands also brings the American Dream mall's entertainment complex within practical distance.
~5–10 min MetLife Stadium · Giants · Jets · American Dream · Meadowlands
Hackensack Meridian Health at Hackensack (~15 min) · Passaic hospitals (~10 min)
HackensackUMC (~15 min north) is Bergen County's top hospital. General Hospital Center at Passaic (~10 min west via Route 3) is the nearest major hospital for Rutherford's western residential areas. RWJBarnabas Health at Belleville is accessible via NJ Turnpike south. For an inner-ring community 8 miles from Midtown Manhattan with train access, Rutherford's hospital options reflect the dense institutional ecosystem of the New York metro's inner suburban ring.
~15 min HackensackUMC · Passaic Hospital ~10 min · Inner-Ring Hospital Access
Rutherford Free Public Library — 150 Park Avenue
The Rutherford Free Public Library (150 Park Avenue, operating income $1,477,437, 93,707 books, 22 state-licensed databases) is one of Bergen County's most well-resourced community libraries for a municipality of its size — reflecting the borough's $143,153 median household income and the literary character that Rutherford's association with William Carlos Williams has cultivated over generations. Located on Park Avenue, the library is walkable from the train station and the Williams Center, creating the cultural infrastructure cluster that makes Park Avenue one of Bergen County's most genuinely enriching walkable main streets.
150 Park Ave · $1.47M Budget · 93,707 Books · WCW Literary Tradition
Three National Register Properties in 2.78 Square Miles
Rutherford has three National Register of Historic Places designations in 2.78 square miles: William Carlos Williams House (9 Ridge Road, added 1973), Rutherford Station (Station Square, 1898 building, added 1984), and Yereance-Berry House (91 Crane Avenue, home of the Meadowlands Museum, added 1983). Three NRHP properties in a 2.78-square-mile Bergen County inner-ring suburb is an extraordinary density of designated historic landmarks — reflecting both the borough's genuine historical significance and its community commitment to preserving it. For buyers who care about living in a place with documented historical depth, Rutherford's three NRHP properties make the case without further argument.
Three NRHP Properties · WCW House 1973 · Station 1984 · Yereance-Berry 1983
The Williams Center — Cultural Anchor Since 1982
The Williams Center for the Performing Arts — two live theaters, three cinemas, open-air meeting gallery, built around the 1920s Rivoli vaudeville theater destroyed in a 1977 fire and restored by a 1978 philanthropist campaign — opened in 1982 and has served as the cultural anchor of Rutherford's downtown for over 40 years. Concerts, ballet, opera, children's theater, film — the Center's programming reflects the aspirations of a borough that invested in a performing arts institution rather than a generic entertainment venue. The Williams Center is to Rutherford what Van Neste Square is to Ridgewood or bergenPAC is to Englewood — the cultural institution that gives the community's downtown its specific character.
Williams Center 1982 · 40+ Years · Rivoli 1920s · 2 Theaters · 3 Cinemas · Cultural Anchor
Inner-Ring Bergen County — The Meadowlands Border Community
Rutherford is one of Bergen County's inner-ring communities — the municipalities closest to New York City that retain genuine suburban residential character while offering the transit and commute access of near-city living. The borough borders the Erie Railroad (north/east), the Passaic River (west), and the Hackensack River (southeast) — natural and railroad boundaries that have defined Rutherford's geographic identity since its founding. MetLife Stadium is 5–10 minutes away in East Rutherford. The American Dream mall is nearby. Newark Airport is 12–18 minutes. And the Rutherford station — opened 1833 — has been connecting this specific spot of New Jersey to New York City for 192 years.
Inner-Ring Bergen · Meadowlands Border · Natural Borders · MetLife 5 min · 192-Year Station
Park Avenue In-Borough Retail
Park Avenue's mile-long commercial corridor handles Rutherford's in-borough everyday retail: specialty grocery, pharmacy, wine shops, cafés, salons, and local services for a community of 19,000 where the median household income is $143,153. The walkable main street character means most everyday needs are accessible without a car for residents within walking distance of Park Avenue. The NJ Transit bus service every 20 minutes connects the entire borough to the Park Avenue corridor even for residents further from the avenue.
Park Ave Mile · Specialty Grocery · Wine Shops · Walkable · NJ Transit Every 20 min
American Dream Mall & Meadowlands (~5–10 min)
The American Dream entertainment and retail complex (East Rutherford, ~5–10 minutes by car) provides the major-format retail, entertainment, and dining that Rutherford's walkable downtown doesn't and shouldn't house. American Dream includes major retailers, entertainment venues, indoor ski slope, water park, NHL ice rink, and the entertainment-retail hybrid that the Meadowlands complex has developed adjacent to MetLife Stadium. For Rutherford residents, American Dream provides the major retail access that complements Park Avenue's boutique-scale character.
~5–10 min American Dream · Major Retail · Entertainment · Indoor Ski · Adjacent Meadowlands
HackensackUMC (~15 min) · Passaic Hospital (~10 min) · Newark Airport (~15 min)
HackensackUMC (Hackensack, ~15 min northwest) for Bergen County's top hospital care. General Hospital Center at Passaic (~10 min west) for nearby emergency access. Newark Liberty Airport (~12–18 min south via NJ Turnpike, accessible via East Rutherford) — the closest major airport to any Bergen County residential community at this price tier. For frequent travelers, Rutherford's NJ Turnpike proximity via East Rutherford makes Newark Airport more practical than from most of Bergen County's northern communities.
HackensackUMC ~15 min · Passaic ~10 min · Newark Airport ~15 min
By the Numbers
Rutherford at a Glance
Municipality Type
Borough
Bergen County · 2.78 sq mi · 8 mi from Midtown
Population
~18,790–19,426
64.3% homeown. · median age 40 · 17.2% transit
Median HH Income
$143,153
Italian 13.9% · Polish 6.5% · Irish 5.9%
SFH Median Price
~$650K–$900K
Redfin $798K +15.6% · Movoto $795K 18-day DOM
Avg Tax Bill (2024)
$13,645
3.121% rate · NJ official data
School District
DFG GH · 11.3:1
5 schools · 2,544 students · Bulldogs HS 1922
Zip Code
07070
Park Ave · Williams Center · WCW birthplace
Train Station
Opened 1833 · NRHP
Hoboken ~15–20 min · Penn ~30 min · walkable
Explore the Area
Similar Towns Near Rutherford
Buyers considering Rutherford often explore these neighboring inner-ring Bergen and Hudson-Bergen border communities — all within 10–15 minutes, each with distinct character, transit access, and price points relative to Rutherford's Park Avenue identity.
Lyndhurst
Adjacent S · 2.086% rate · new NJ Transit station 2025
→
Hasbrouck Heights
Nearby · The Boulevard · Teterboro Station
→
Wood-Ridge
Adjacent N · NJ Transit · affordable · family
→
Carlstadt
Adjacent · 3rd lowest Bergen tax bill · $8,763
→
North Arlington
Nearby · 8.5 mi Manhattan · #14 hottest NJ
→
East Rutherford
Adjacent · MetLife Stadium · lowest Bergen tax bill
→
Garfield
Nearby · 2 NJ Transit stations · "City of Champions"
→
Hackensack
Nearby · BCA · HackensackUMC · county seat
→
Ridgewood
Nearby NW · DFG J prestige · dual trains · $1.3M+
→Demographics
Data provided by Attom Data
Population
Employment
Population
17.7K
17.7K in 2020
Density
8K
per square mile
Households
6.8K
32 With Children
Gender
47% / 53%
Men Vs Women
Occupancy
66% / 34%
Owned Vs Rented
Age Median: Years
Education Level
Educational Environment
Elementary Schools (7)Middle Schools (3)High Schools (2)
Name
Category
Grades
Library
Ratio
7/10
Pierrepont School
70 E Pierrepont Ave, Rutherford, NJ 07070
Public
4 - 8
No
11:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
6/10
Lincoln School
414 Montross Ave, Rutherford, NJ 07070
Public
KG - 3
No
14:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
6/10
Union School
359 Union Ave, Rutherford, NJ 07070
Public
4 - 8
No
12:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
6/10
Washington School
89 Wood St, Rutherford, NJ 07070
Public
KG - 3
No
17:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
0/10
The Academy at Saint Mary
72 Chestnut St, Rutherford, NJ 07070
Private
PK - 8
Yes
10:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
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Amenities & Attractions
Featured Listings
For Sale (83)
For Sold (940)
Open Sat 1PM-3PM2 Beds2 Baths555 Riverside AVE #12, Rutherford, NJ 07070
MLS# 26027644
Listed by Libera Schilare of The Agency Rutherford City West
Open 9/26 12PM-2PM3 Beds2 Baths140 Francisco AVE, Rutherford, NJ 07070
MLS# 26035248
Listed by Alain Beade of RE/MAX Professionals 1
Open Sun 1PM-4PM6 Beds2 Baths87 Ridge RD, Rutherford, NJ 07070
MLS# 26034496
Listed by Jennifer Darby Metzger of The Agency Rutherford City West
Open Sat 11AM-2PM3 Beds1 Bath67 Chestnut ST, Rutherford, NJ 07070
MLS# 26032595
Listed by Gabriel Sajiun of Arena Commercial Brokerage
Open Sun 12PM-2PM5 Beds4 Baths376 Riverside AVE, Rutherford, NJ 07070
MLS# 26032157
Listed by Alexa Micciulli of The Agency Rutherford City West
Open Sat 12PM-2PM4 Beds2 Baths81 W Gouverneur AVE, Rutherford, NJ 07070
MLS# 26027332
Listed by Frank Capoano of EXP Realty, LLC
Similar Neighborhood
Common Questions
Rutherford, NJ — Frequently Asked Questions
Real answers about buying, selling, taxes, schools, and daily life in Rutherford — Bergen County's most literary borough: Park Avenue's mile-long walkable main street, the Williams Center for the Performing Arts, William Carlos Williams's birthplace (NRHP), Rutherford Station (opened 1833, NRHP), 8 miles from Midtown, DFG GH 11.3:1 schools, $795K median with 18-day DOM, $13,645 average tax bill.
Rutherford is a competitive, fast-appreciating inner-ring market. Movoto: list median $795,000 with an 18-day DOM (April 2026). Redfin: $798K (+15.6% YoY, March 2026). Zillow ZHVI $604,628 (all housing types including rentals). True SFH working range approximately $650K–$900K. The 18-day DOM (Movoto) reflects a borough where the combination of walkable Park Avenue, the Williams Center, the 1833 train station, and 8-mile Manhattan proximity creates a specific buyer profile — young professionals (median age 40), transit commuters (17.2% use public transit), and cultural enthusiasts who have researched inner-ring Bergen and specifically chosen Rutherford's character over neighboring Lyndhurst and Hasbrouck Heights. Talk to us about current Rutherford market conditions →
The practical range: smaller capes, cottages, and entry homes: $575K–$725K. Standard colonials and well-maintained homes: $725K–$875K. Larger or updated homes near Park Avenue: $875K–$1.1M+. Redfin $798K and Movoto $795K bracket the active SFH market reliably. The Zillow $604K ZHVI reflects the full housing stock including 35.7% rental units pulling the all-types average below the ownership market. Rutherford's inner-ring position — 8 miles from Midtown, walkable to a 1833 train station — consistently supports prices above neighboring communities at comparable Bergen County distances from the city. The 15.6% YoY appreciation reflects the post-pandemic inner-ring premium as return-to-office trends benefit communities with walkable transit access.
Rutherford's housing stock reflects its inner-ring, walkable character: Victorian and early 20th-century homes — the borough's most distinctive stock, near Park Avenue, often with original architectural detail and walking distance to the train. Colonial and Tudor homes from the interwar period — the dominant ownership type. Cape Cods and post-war ranches — in the outer residential areas. Multi-family and rental stock — significant rental population (35.7% of units) reflecting the borough's commuter and young professional character. With 7,024 housing units for ~19,000 residents, Rutherford is a denser inner-ring community than most of Bergen County — reflecting its 8-mile Midtown proximity and walkable station adjacency. Niche.com describes it as having a "dense suburban feel."
Rutherford has one of Bergen County's strongest transit-to-downtown combinations. Rutherford Station (opened December 4, 1833 — one of NJ's oldest; 1898 NRHP building at Station Square, walkable from Park Avenue) serves the NJ Transit Main Line: Hoboken Terminal approximately 15–20 minutes; Penn Station via Secaucus approximately 30 minutes. Average weekday boardings: 640 (2024). NJ Transit buses run every 20 minutes on Park Avenue at the downtown circle, connecting to the broader New York metro bus network. 17.2% of residents use public transit — one of Bergen County's highest transit ridership rates for a non-urban community, reflecting the genuine walkable station integration. By car: Newark Airport approximately 12–18 minutes via East Rutherford/NJ Turnpike; Midtown approximately 25–40 minutes. For buyers who specifically want to walk to the train from home, Rutherford's walkable station on a 1833-origin rail line is as good as it gets in Bergen County at this price tier.
The Rutherford School District — PreK–12, 5 schools, 2,544 students (2023–24), 11.3:1 ratio, District Factor Group GH — is a well-regarded inner-ring Bergen County school district. DFG GH is Bergen County's second-highest socioeconomic classification. Rutherford High School (56 Elliott Place, Bulldogs, Navy Blue and White, established 1922, 727 students 2024–25, 10.6:1, North Jersey Interscholastic Conference) is a community-scale high school where the 10.6:1 ratio provides good individual attention. Niche.com: "The public schools in Rutherford are highly rated." Bergen County Academies (BCA) accessible for qualifying students. For buyers targeting inner-ring Bergen County for commute and walkability — and DFG GH is an acceptable school tier — Rutherford delivers a well-resourced, respected public school system at 8 miles from Midtown. Ask us about Rutherford's schools →
Rutherford's general tax rate is 3.121%. The official 2024 average residential tax bill is $13,645 (NJ Division of Taxation). On a $750K home, expect approximately $16,000–$23,400 per year. On an $850K home, approximately $18,200–$26,500. City-Data confirms median taxes around $10,001 for mortgaged properties — reflecting assessment ratios where assessed values lag current market values. The 3.121% rate is Bergen County's upper-mid tier — below the highest (River Edge 3.965%, Elmwood Park 3.202%) and above the lower tier (Lyndhurst 2.086%, Paramus 1.481%). For inner-ring Bergen County comparisons: Lyndhurst (adjacent south) has a dramatically lower rate (2.086%, $10,666 avg bill); Hasbrouck Heights and Garfield are comparable. Rutherford's $13,645 average bill is the price of the DFG GH schools, the Williams Center, the Park Avenue character, and the 1833 train station. Tax bills due quarterly.
The inner-ring Bergen comparison: Lyndhurst — adjacent south, 2.086% rate (Bergen's lowest mainstream), $10,666 avg bill, new NJ Transit station June 2025, DeKorte Park, median ~$580K–$700K — much lower rate and bill, newer train access, less walkable downtown character. Hasbrouck Heights — nearby northwest, The Boulevard walkable downtown, Teterboro Station, median ~$700K–$754K, comparable tax tier — direct competitor for walkable downtown buyers, different school district. East Rutherford — adjacent, MetLife Stadium, $7,787 avg bill (Bergen's 2nd lowest) — dramatically lower taxes, less residential character. Rutherford — 3.121% rate, $13,645 avg bill, Park Avenue walkable mile, Williams Center, WCW birthplace, 1833 train station (Hoboken 15 min, Penn 30 min), DFG GH 11.3:1, $795K median, 18-day DOM. The premium over Lyndhurst (same distance from NYC, dramatically lower rate) is the Park Avenue walkable cultural infrastructure premium. Buyers who want that specific character pay the difference.
Yes. The +15.6% YoY appreciation (Redfin, March 2026), 18-day DOM (Movoto, April 2026), and consistent buyer demand from the borough's specific profile reflect one of Bergen County's inner-ring market's strongest appreciation periods. The buyer pool is specific and motivated: young professionals and transit commuters targeting walkable Park Avenue + 30-minute Penn Station access; cultural buyers who want the Williams Center performing arts scene within walking distance; families targeting DFG GH schools at inner-ring pricing; and the broad return-to-office professional community that has specifically re-engaged with NJ Transit-accessible inner suburbs. Spring (March–May) is strongest; transit-motivated buyers are year-round. Get a free Rutherford home valuation →
Movoto: 18-day median DOM (April 2026, 35% decrease from prior year). Redfin: 101-day average (March 2026 — a different methodology and season that skews to slower winter). Well-priced SFH at $725K–$850K in spring: typically 2–3 weeks. Key selling messages: Park Avenue mile-long walkable main street with bistros, wine shops, cafés; Williams Center 2 theaters + 3 cinemas; William Carlos Williams birthplace (Pulitzer Prize poet, NRHP, 9 Ridge Road); Rutherford Station opened 1833 (NRHP), Hoboken 15–20 min, Penn 30 min; NJ Transit buses every 20 min on Park Ave; DFG GH 11.3:1 schools, Bulldogs HS est. 1922; MetLife Stadium 5–10 min; American Dream mall 5–10 min; 8 miles Midtown; $143K median HH income; +15.6% YoY; 18-day DOM. The walkable station + Park Avenue cultural infrastructure is the specific proposition that commands the premium over Lyndhurst's lower tax rate. Learn how we sell homes in Rutherford →
Rutherford is Bergen County's most literary borough — and that is a precise description, not a marketing claim. William Carlos Williams was born here in 1883 and practiced medicine at 9 Ridge Road while writing the poems that would win the Pulitzer Prize. The William Carlos Williams Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1982 in his honor, two blocks from his house, in a 1920s vaudeville theater that survived a 1977 fire through a philanthropist restoration campaign. The train station at the base of Park Avenue opened December 4, 1833 — 192 years ago — and reaches Hoboken in 15–20 minutes and Penn Station in 30. NJ Transit buses run every 20 minutes past the Williams Center, the library, and the wine shops. Seventeen percent of residents use public transit. Forty percent of workers drive alone. Twenty-three percent work from home. The median household income is $143,153. The median age is 40. The Bulldogs have been playing at 56 Elliott Place since 1922. The Rutherford Downhill Derby runs gravity-powered carts down the streets since 2017. And at the corner of Ridge Road and Park Avenue, the house where a Pulitzer Prize winner wrote poems about the Passaic River and the Erie Railroad that borders his borough is still standing — on the National Register, as it should be.