Tenafly
NJ
Average Sales Price
$1,773,154
Median Sales Price
$1,350,000
Population
14,603
Total Listings
71
Living in Tenafly
$23,036 Avg Tax Bill. DFG I Schools. 36% Asian. Bergen County's Highest-Income Borough.
Everything you need to know before making Tenafly, NJ home.
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→Tenafly is Bergen County's highest-income borough and the endpoint of the county's eastern prestige corridor — 4.59 square miles at 217 feet elevation, incorporated January 24, 1894 from portions of the now-defunct Palisades Township. The name comes from the Dutch "Tiene Vly" — "Ten Swamps" — given by Dutch settlers in 1688 who found this high ground between the Hudson River Palisades and the Hackensack River Valley suitable for settlement. Today it is most notable for three simultaneous distinctions: Bergen County's highest average tax bill ($23,036, 2024 NJ official); Bergen County's highest median household income ($208,200); and a school district classified DFG I (Bergen County's highest demographic classification) with a 10.9:1 student-teacher ratio at Tenafly High School (Tigers, Black and Orange, 19 Columbus Drive, 1,166 students). The demographic composition — 52.87% White, 36.28% Asian — reflects the Korean-American community that has made Tenafly one of the most significant Korean-American residential concentrations in northern New Jersey, alongside significant Jewish community presence and a broadly international professional community (41% born outside the US, averaging a 39.8-minute commute to New York City 5–8 miles east via GWB).
The market is premium-tier: Movoto $1,927,000 median sold (October 2025, 33-day DOM); Redfin $1,067,778 (November 2025, 73-day DOM); Bergen Real Estate ~$2.1M. True SFH range approximately $1.3M–$4M+, with entry condos and townhouses at $600K–$900K. The $23,036 average tax bill is the highest in Bergen County's 70-municipality landscape — and at a $208,200 median household income and $1M+ median property value, it is the price the borough charges for DFG I schools, the Palisades topography at 217 feet, the Korean-American and Jewish commercial infrastructure along Tenafly Road and Dean Drive, and the specific eastern Bergen position that puts the Hudson River five minutes east and Manhattan's GWB approach 5–8 miles east by car. NJ Monthly ranked Tenafly #7 best places to live in New Jersey in 2013. Bergen Real Estate: "one of Bergen County's most prestigious communities."
🏫
DFG I · 11.9:1 · Tigers HS 10.9:1
Bergen's highest classification · 6 schools · 3,465 students
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$23,036 Avg Tax Bill — Bergen's Highest
2.841% rate · 2.154% effective · NJ official 2024
🏡
SFH Median ~$1.3M–$4M+ · $208K Median HH Income
Movoto $1.93M · Redfin $1.07M · Bergen's highest income
🇰🇷
36.28% Asian · Korean-American Community
41% foreign-born · significant Jewish community
🗽
5–8 Miles to GWB · 217 ft Elevation
NJ Monthly #7 best NJ · "Ten Swamps" Dutch 1688
🌳
4.59 Sq Mi · 71.7% Homeownership
Colonials, Tudors, estates · tree-lined streets · Palisades views
Commute & Connectivity
Getting There From Here
Tenafly sits 5–8 miles from the George Washington Bridge in eastern Bergen County, with NJ Transit bus service to Port Authority and car access via Route 9W and I-95 — averaging a 39.8-minute commute for residents heading to Manhattan.
George Washington Bridge
Via Rt-9W S / I-95 E · 5–8 miles
~10–20
minutes by car (off-peak)
NYC Port Authority (Bus)
NJ Transit bus via GWB · multiple routes
~35–50
minutes by bus
Midtown Manhattan (Car)
GWB → Henry Hudson Pkwy / West Side Hwy
~30–45
minutes by car (off-peak)
Hackensack (County Seat)
Via Tenafly Rd S · ~5 miles
~12–15
minutes by car
Newark Liberty Airport
Via I-95 S / NJ Tpk S · ~20 miles
~25–35
minutes by car
Public Schools
Education That Raises Property Values
Tenafly Public Schools: PreK–12, 6 schools, 3,465 students, 11.9:1, DFG I — Bergen County's highest classification — including Tenafly High School, the Tigers, Black and Orange, 19 Columbus Drive, 1,166 students, 10.9:1.
| School | Grades | Type | Student:Teacher | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Schools (4 schools) Tenafly Public Schools · 500 Tenafly Rd · PreK–5 · DFG I |
PreK – 5 | Public | 11.9 : 1 | DFG I · A+ |
| Tenafly Middle School Tenafly Public Schools · Grades 6–8 |
6 – 8 | Public | 11.9 : 1 | DFG I · A |
| Tenafly High School 19 Columbus Dr · Tigers · Black & Orange · 1,166 students (2023–24) |
9 – 12 | Public | 10.9 : 1 | DFG I · A+ · BNC |
Tenafly Public Schools: PreK–12 · 6 schools · 3,465 students (2024–25) · 11.9:1 · DFG I (Bergen's highest classification) · 291.7 FTE faculty. Tenafly HS: 19 Columbus Drive · Tigers · Black and Orange · 1,166 students (2023–24) · 10.9:1 · Big North Conference · rival: Dumont. Publication: Omega literary/art magazine · The Echo newspaper. Bergen County Academies (BCA) accessible for qualifying students (~15 min to Hackensack). NJ Monthly #7 best places to live NJ (2013). GreatSchools: 9/10 average across district.
Neighborhood Life
What Makes Tenafly Tenafly
Explore Tenafly Road's Korean and Jewish commercial infrastructure, the Palisades topography at 217 feet, the community shaped by Dutch settlers in 1688, Korean-American businesses along Dean Drive, the Tenafly Nature Center, and the specific eastern Bergen prestige corridor that produces Bergen County's highest average tax bill and its highest median household income simultaneously.
Korean-American Community — 36% Asian, Significant Korean Presence
Tenafly's 36.28% Asian population — with a significant Korean-American component — has produced one of northern New Jersey's most substantial Korean commercial and residential communities outside of Fort Lee and Palisades Park. Korean restaurants, Korean grocery, Korean-language services, Korean-American professional community (physicians, attorneys, real estate professionals), and Korean cultural institutions along Tenafly Road, Dean Drive, and the commercial corridors reflect a community of exceptional depth. Bergen Real Estate confirms "significant Korean-American populations adding to its character." For Korean-American buyers specifically, Tenafly's combination of DFG I schools, Korean commercial infrastructure, and the highest-income borough status in Bergen County makes the $23,036 average tax bill the specific price of living in the community where the Korean-American professional class in northern New Jersey has concentrated most fully.
36.28% Asian · Korean-American · Korean Restaurants · Korean Grocery · DFG I Schools
Tenafly Road & Downtown Commercial Corridor
Tenafly Road is the borough's primary commercial spine — lined with restaurants, cafés, specialty retail, wine shops, and professional services serving the $208,200 median household income community. The commercial mix reflects Tenafly's dual character: Korean restaurants and markets serving the 36% Asian community; traditional American and Italian restaurants serving the 53% White community; kosher establishments serving the significant Jewish community; and international dining reflecting the 41% foreign-born population. Bergen Real Estate: "Tenafly blends educational excellence, cultural vibrancy, and suburban beauty." For a borough that produces Bergen County's highest average income, the commercial street reflects the spending power of that income.
Tenafly Road · Korean · Italian · Kosher · Wine · Cafés · $208K Median HH Income
Tenafly Nature Center — 400-Acre Wildlife Preserve
The Tenafly Nature Center — a 400-acre wildlife preserve and environmental education center within the borough — is one of Bergen County's most distinctive in-borough nature assets. Trails through upland forest and wetland habitats, environmental education programming for school groups, birding, and year-round passive recreation make the Nature Center the in-borough green space that complements the borough's residential character. At 217 feet elevation on the Palisades plateau, the Nature Center's landscape reflects the same topography that the Dutch settlers who named the area "Ten Swamps" in 1688 encountered — the elevated, wooded, wetland-punctuated landscape of eastern Bergen County's ridge system.
400-Acre Preserve · Trails · Environmental Education · Birding · 217 ft Elevation
Colonial & Tudor Residential Character — Tree-Lined Streets
Tenafly's residential neighborhoods — colonials, Tudors, ranch-style homes, and newer custom estates on tree-lined streets — reflect the eastern Bergen prestige suburban character that Bergen Real Estate summarizes as "Many homes sit on tree-lined streets and larger lots, contributing to the borough's suburban charm." The borough's housing stock includes 1920s–1940s Tudors and colonials built during the GWB-era suburban boom, 1950s–1970s ranch-style homes, and newer construction and renovation at the upper end of the $1.3M–$4M+ range. The Palisades' 217-foot elevation gives some properties views toward the Hudson River and the New York skyline — a visual quality that few Bergen County communities at any price tier can match.
Colonials · Tudors · Tree-Lined · Larger Lots · 217 ft · Hudson Views · Prestige Character
Jewish Community & Religious Infrastructure
Tenafly's Jewish community — present alongside the growing Korean-American community — contributes to the borough's dual-heritage character that Bergen Real Estate identifies as "significant Jewish and Korean-American populations adding to its character." Synagogues, Jewish day schools, and kosher establishments along Tenafly Road reflect a Jewish community of meaningful size within the borough's 52.87% White and 36.28% Asian demographic split. The shared DFG I school classification creates a common institutional framework for both communities' children — a coexistence that the $208,200 median household income reflects economically.
Jewish Community · Synagogues · Kosher · Korean-American · DFG I Shared Schools
Dutch 1688 Heritage — "Tiene Vly" to Tenafly
The name "Tenafly" derives from the early-modern Dutch phrase "Tiene Vly" or "Ten Swamps" — given by Dutch settlers who arrived in the area in 1688 and found the elevated, wetland-punctuated landscape of the Palisades plateau. The borough was incorporated January 24, 1894 from portions of the now-defunct Palisades Township, at the peak of the "Boroughitis" wave that created most of Bergen County's boroughs. The Dutch colonial era left names across Bergen County, but Tenafly's specific derivation — "Ten Swamps" for a community that now has Bergen County's highest average income — is a historical inversion that reflects how completely the 20th-century residential development transformed the landscape that 17th-century settlers found wet and marginal.
Dutch 1688 · "Tiene Vly" · Ten Swamps · Palisades Twp 1894 · Boroughitis Era · Historical Inversion
Tenafly Nature Center — 400-Acre In-Borough Preserve
The Tenafly Nature Center (320 DeGraw Avenue) — a 400-acre wildlife preserve and environmental education center — is one of Bergen County's most distinguished in-borough nature assets. Miles of trails through upland forest, wetlands, and meadow habitat at 217-foot Palisades elevation. Environmental education center with school programming. Birding (over 200 recorded species). The Nature Center land encompasses the wetland topography that Dutch settlers named "Ten Swamps" in 1688 — preserved now as a 400-acre ecological resource within one of Bergen County's highest-income boroughs. For buyers who want in-borough nature access without driving to a county or state park, the Nature Center is a direct property value contributor to Tenafly addresses within walking distance.
320 DeGraw Ave · 400 Acres · Trails · Birding · Environmental Ed · Ten Swamps Heritage
Huyler Park & Tenafly Recreation Programs
Huyler Park — Tenafly's primary municipal park — provides athletic fields, tennis courts, picnic areas, and recreational programming serving the borough's 15,000+ residents. The borough's recreation department operates seasonal youth sports programs, adult leagues, and community events reflecting the family-oriented character of a community where 71.7% of residents own their homes. Tenafly's parks reflect the balance between the in-borough preserved nature (400-acre Nature Center) and the active recreation infrastructure (Huyler Park fields and courts) appropriate for a family community at $208,200 median household income.
Huyler Park · Athletics · Tennis · Youth Sports · Recreation Programs · Family-Oriented
Palisades Topography — 217 ft Elevation · Hudson River Views
Tenafly sits on the Palisades plateau at 217 feet elevation — the highest elevation of any community in this guide and one of the highest residential boroughs in Bergen County. The Palisades ridge that runs along the Hudson River creates both the topography that gives Tenafly its elevated character and the forest landscape that the Nature Center preserves. From higher residential streets in eastern Tenafly, views toward the Hudson River and the New York skyline are available — a visual quality that $1.3M–$4M+ properties in this area command a premium for. The 11.2% water area (one of the guide's highest) reflects the multiple ponds and reservoir features at this elevation.
217 ft Elevation · Palisades Plateau · Hudson River Views · 11.2% Water Area · Topographic Premium
Englewood Hospital (~5 min) · Holy Name Teaneck (~10 min) · HackensackUMC (~15 min)
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center — approximately 5 minutes south via Tenafly Road — is the nearest major hospital for Tenafly residents. Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck (~10 minutes) and HackensackUMC in Hackensack (~15 minutes) provide additional regional hospital access. For the Korean-American community specifically, Englewood Hospital has historically served the eastern Bergen Korean-American population. The proximity to three major hospitals within 15 minutes is consistent with Tenafly's inner-east Bergen position at the confluence of the Palisades corridor and the Hackensack River valley.
~5 min Englewood Hospital · Holy Name ~10 min · HackensackUMC ~15 min
Tenafly Public Library
Part of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, serving a borough of 15,000+ where 41% were born outside the United States and the median household income is $208,200. Multilingual resources in Korean, Japanese, Hebrew, and other languages reflect the international professional community. BCA application preparation support serves many Tenafly families.
BCCLS · Multilingual · Korean/Japanese/Hebrew · BCA Prep · International Professional
$23,036 Avg Tax Bill — Bergen County's Highest
Tenafly's 2024 official average tax bill of $23,036 is Bergen County's highest. The 2.154% effective rate on a $1M+ median property value produces the high absolute bill. On a $1.5M home: ~$32,300/year. On a $2M home: ~$43,000/year. Comparisons: Ridgewood $20,375 (DFG J); Demarest $24,741 (DFG J, slightly higher). The bill funds Bergen's highest-classification public school district — DFG I — at a community where $208,200 median HH income reflects the economic return on sustained educational investment.
$23,036 Bergen's Highest · 2.154% Effective · DFG I · Rate vs Bill Distinction
NJ Monthly #7 Best Places · $208K Median HH Income
NJ Monthly ranked Tenafly #7 best places to live in NJ (2013). The $208,200 median household income — Bergen County's highest — reflects Korean-American and Jewish professional families who chose DFG I school access and Palisades topography. DataUSA: $1M median property value (2024). 71.7% homeownership. Bergen Real Estate: "one of Bergen County's most prestigious communities." Highest income + highest average bill + DFG I classification in the same borough: educational and economic investment compounding over generations.
NJ Monthly #7 · $208K Median HH · $1M Median Property · DFG I · Prestige
41% Foreign-Born — Global Professional Community
Tenafly's 41% foreign-born population — Korean, Japanese, Israeli, European — reflects specific appeal to internationally mobile professionals choosing DFG I schools and GWB proximity. 79.8% citizenship rate reflects permanent residential commitment rather than transient expatriate character. For buyers from these communities, Tenafly's Korean commercial infrastructure, DFG I schools, and highest-income borough status is the combination no other Bergen County community replicates simultaneously.
41% Foreign-Born · 79.8% Citizens · Korean · Japanese · Israeli · Global Professional
Tenafly Road & Dean Drive — Korean and International Commercial
Tenafly Road and Dean Drive host the borough's Korean-American commercial infrastructure: Korean grocery stores, Korean restaurants, Korean-language services, Korean banks, and Korean professional services serving the 36% Asian population. Korean grocery and H-Mart equivalents within the immediate area provide Korean food staples. The commercial density of the Korean-American community along these corridors is matched in Bergen County only by Fort Lee and Palisades Park — but Tenafly's Korean-American commercial presence is complemented by DFG I schools and a $208,200 median HH income that neither Fort Lee nor Palisades Park matches at the same scale.
Tenafly Road · Dean Drive · Korean Grocery · Korean Restaurants · Korean Services · DFG I
Englewood (~5 min) · Cresskill (~5 min) · Hackensack (~15 min)
Englewood's Palisade Avenue commercial district (~5 minutes south) — restaurants, Whole Foods, boutiques, bergenPAC — is the primary major retail destination for Tenafly residents. Cresskill (~5 minutes north) provides additional neighborhood commercial access. Hackensack (~15 minutes west) for major retail, HackensackUMC, and Bergen County administrative services. For a borough without major in-borough retail anchors (no Whole Foods, no major mall), the adjacency to Englewood's commercial infrastructure provides the everyday retail access appropriate for a $208,200 median HH income community.
~5 min Englewood · Whole Foods · Palisade Ave · Cresskill ~5 min · Hackensack ~15 min
Englewood Hospital (~5 min) · Tenafly Nature Center · Alpine Palisades
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (~5 min south via Tenafly Road) for primary hospital access. Alpine — Bergen County's most exclusive estate community — is immediately north along Route 9W, reflecting Tenafly's position at the base of the Palisades estate corridor that runs north through Alpine to the state line. For buyers exploring the Palisades corridor at the $1.3M–$4M+ price tier, Tenafly represents the more accessible and more institutionally complete southern end of the corridor — better schools (DFG I vs. Alpine's regional sending), more commercial infrastructure, and the Korean-American community investment that has deepened the borough's residential character since the 1970s.
~5 min Englewood Hospital · Alpine Adjacent N · Palisades Corridor · DFG I vs Alpine
By the Numbers
Tenafly at a Glance
Municipality Type
Borough
Bergen County · 4.59 sq mi · est. 1894 · 217 ft elev.
Population
~15,178–15,508
53% White · 36% Asian · 41% foreign-born
Median HH Income
$208,200
Bergen County's highest · $120,919 per capita
SFH Median Price
~$1.3M–$4M+
Movoto $1.93M · Redfin $1.07M · $1M median property value
Avg Tax Bill (2024)
$23,036
Bergen's highest · 2.841% rate · 2.154% effective
School District
DFG I · 11.9:1
Bergen's highest classification · Tigers HS 10.9:1
Zip Code
07670
Tenafly Road · Korean-American · Palisades · GWB 5–8 mi
Name Origin
Dutch "Tiene Vly" — 1688
"Ten Swamps" · 400-acre Nature Center · highest Bergen income
Explore the Area
Similar Towns Near Tenafly
Buyers considering Tenafly often explore these neighboring eastern Bergen and Palisades corridor communities — from Cresskill and Demarest at the same prestige tier to Englewood and Teaneck at adjacent price points.
Cresskill
Adjacent N · NV/Demarest HS · $1.27M median · DFG I
→
Alpine
Adjacent N · most exclusive Bergen · 0.834% rate · $4M+
→
Englewood
Adjacent S · bergenPAC · Whole Foods · Bergen's only city
→
Demarest
Nearby · DFG J · $1.8M–$2.3M · $24,741 avg bill
→
Closter
Nearby · NV Demarest #19 NJ · $1.3M–$1.5M
→
Leonia
Adjacent S · "Athens of NJ" · 37% Asian · own K-12
→
Teaneck
Adjacent · 1965 desegregation · $640K–$705K · DFG GH
→
Englewood Cliffs
Nearby · LG/Samsung HQ · 1.165% rate · $1.6M–$3.8M
→
Fort Lee
Nearby · GWB base · Korean community · A+ Niche
→Demographics
Data provided by Attom Data
Population
Employment
Population
14.6K
14.6K in 2020
Density
2.8K
per square mile
Households
4.8K
50 With Children
Gender
47% / 53%
Men Vs Women
Occupancy
78% / 22%
Owned Vs Rented
Age Median: -- Years
No Data
Education Level
No Data
Educational Environment
Elementary Schools (8)Middle Schools (4)High Schools (1)
Name
Category
Grades
Library
Ratio
9/10
Stillman Elementary School
75 Tenafly Rd, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Public
PK - 5
No
13:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
8/10
Smith Elementary School
101 Downey Dr, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Public
KG - 5
No
13:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
7/10
Maugham Elementary School
111 Magnolia Ave, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Public
KG - 5
No
13:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
7/10
MacKay Elementary School
111 Jefferson Ave, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Public
KG - 5
No
14:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
0/10
The Montessori House
426 Knickerbocker Rd, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Private
PK - TKG
Yes
4:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
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Amenities & Attractions
Featured Listings
For Sale (67)
For Sold (703)
New4 Beds5 Baths605 Heights LN, Tenafly, NJ 07670
MLS# 26024762
Listed by Resham B. Sethi of Keller Williams Town Life
New2 Beds3 Baths4102 Piermont RD, Tenafly, NJ 07670
MLS# 26023807
Listed by Fung Nini Yip Wong of Coldwell Banker, Alpine/Closter
New3 Beds2 Baths26 Hillside AVE #A, Tenafly, NJ 07670
MLS# 26024056
Listed by Julia Dito of Keller Williams Town Life
New3 Beds2 Baths47 George ST, Tenafly, NJ 07670
MLS# 26019235
Listed by Katy Bekiarides of Prominent Properties Sotheby's International Realty-Tenafly
New3 Beds3 Baths54 Oak ST, Tenafly, NJ 07670
MLS# 26024543
Listed by Shuli Finkel of Coldwell Banker, Alpine/Closter
New4 Beds2 Baths40 Clinton AVE, Tenafly, NJ 07670
MLS# 26024578
Listed by Hiroka Ooka of Prominent Properties Sotheby's International Realty-Tenafly
Similar Neighborhood
Common Questions
Tenafly, NJ — Frequently Asked Questions
Real answers about buying, selling, taxes, schools, and daily life in Tenafly — Bergen County's highest-income borough: $208,200 median HH income, $23,036 average tax bill (Bergen's highest), DFG I schools (Bergen's highest classification), 36% Asian/Korean-American community, 400-acre Nature Center, 5–8 miles to GWB, and NJ Monthly's #7 best place in New Jersey.
Tenafly is a premium, deliberate estate market at Bergen County's eastern prestige tier. Movoto: $1,927,000 median sold (October 2025), 33-day DOM, 36 sales. Redfin: $1,067,778 (November 2025, 73-day DOM) — the November figure reflects a small-sample slower winter month. DataUSA: $1M median property value (2024, +2.9% YoY). Bergen Real Estate: ~$2.1M median. True SFH working range approximately $1.3M–$4M+, with entry condos and townhouses at $600K–$900K. The 33-day Movoto DOM (peak fall market) reflects genuine buyer demand from Tenafly's specific profile: Korean-American families (36% Asian, GWB 5 miles), Jewish families (DFG I yeshiva pipeline), and international professionals (41% foreign-born) who have done Bergen County's eastern prestige corridor research and found Tenafly at the intersection of DFG I schools, Palisades elevation, and Korean commercial infrastructure. Talk to us about current Tenafly market conditions →
The practical tiers: Entry condos and townhouses: $600K–$900K. Smaller or original-condition SFH: $1.1M–$1.5M. Standard Tenafly colonial/Tudor (3–4 bed, updated): $1.5M–$2.5M. Larger or well-positioned properties: $2.5M–$4M. Estate properties and recent construction: $4M+. Movoto's $1.93M October 2025 median and Redfin pending listings at $1.6M median (29 pending) bracket the active SFH market. The DataUSA $1M median property value reflects the full housing stock including condos. Bergen Real Estate: "larger homes and luxury estates command premium values, while condos and townhouses provide more affordable options." The Palisades topography at 217 feet means some eastern Tenafly addresses carry a view premium over western addresses.
Bergen Real Estate: "a mix of colonial, Tudor, and ranch-style homes, along with luxury estates and newer custom-built residences. Many homes sit on tree-lined streets and larger lots." The stock ranges across: 1920s–1940s Tudors and colonials — the GWB-era suburban boom stock, often on larger lots in the central and eastern residential sections, many updated to current standards. 1950s–1970s ranches and split-levels — more commonly in the western sections at lower price points. Custom estates and newer construction — particularly in areas with Palisades elevation and views. Condos and townhouses — near the Tenafly Road commercial corridor and in newer developments. With 4.59 square miles and 71.7% homeownership, Tenafly's active SFH inventory at any time is approximately 30–50 properties — a tight market where the right buyer profile is more important than speed.
Tenafly is primarily a car-commuter community with strong bus access. By car via GWB: Route 9W south to I-95/GWB, approximately 5–8 miles, 10–20 minutes to bridge off-peak; Manhattan 30–45 minutes total. By bus: NJ Transit buses multiple routes via GWB to Port Authority Bus Terminal, approximately 35–50 minutes. No in-borough NJ Transit rail — nearest stations in Englewood (adjacent south) and Cresskill (adjacent north). DataUSA: 39.8-minute average commute. Most people drive alone to work. Bergen Real Estate: "Tenafly's location near the George Washington Bridge and major highways makes commuting into Manhattan highly convenient." For buyers who drove to the GWB from Tenafly and measured the distance, 5–8 miles is the most immediate eastern Bergen positioning for a community at this price tier. Route 9W is the primary corridor; I-95 provides the bridge crossing.
The Tenafly Public Schools — PreK–12, 6 schools, 3,465 students (2024–25), 11.9:1 ratio, DFG I (Bergen County's highest socioeconomic classification) — are consistently rated among Bergen County's best. Tenafly High School (19 Columbus Drive, Tigers, Black and Orange, 1,166 students 2023–24, 10.9:1, Big North Conference, rival: Dumont; publishes Omega literary/art magazine and The Echo newspaper) delivers the academic performance that DFG I classification and $208,200 median HH income produce. GreatSchools: 9/10 average across the district. NJ Monthly #7 best places to live (2013 ranking). Bergen County Academies (BCA) accessible for qualifying students (~15 min to Hackensack). Additionally, Tenafly's Jewish day school and yeshiva infrastructure provides a private school pipeline for the Orthodox community. For Korean-American and Japanese families, Tenafly's DFG I classification produces the academic peer environment and college preparation culture that drove the community's demographic transformation since the 1970s.
Tenafly's general tax rate is 2.841% with an effective rate of 2.154%. The official 2024 average residential tax bill is $23,036 — Bergen County's highest among all 70 municipalities. Why the bill is high but the rate isn't extreme: Tenafly's $1M+ median property value multiplied by the 2.154% effective rate produces the $23,036 average — the mechanism is high home values and DFG I per-pupil expenditure, not an unusually high rate. Compare: Elmwood Park has a 3.202% rate but a much lower bill because homes are worth far less. On a $1.5M home: approximately $25,000–$42,600/year. On a $2M home: approximately $33,000–$56,800. Bergen County comparisons: Demarest $24,741 (higher, DFG J), Ridgewood $20,375 (lower, DFG J), Closter $10,001 (lower, NV/Demarest HS). The $23,036 bill is the cost of DFG I schools with the highest-income community in Bergen County attached. Tax bills due quarterly.
The eastern Bergen prestige corridor comparison: Cresskill — adjacent north, NV/Demarest HS (different from Tenafly's own HS), $1.27M–$1.3M median, 2.072% eff., $10,001 avg bill (dramatically lower) — similar DFG I classification, much lower bill, different high school. Demarest — nearby, DFG J (#1 Bergen district), $1.8M–$2.3M, $24,741 avg bill (higher than Tenafly), own K-12 NV/Demarest. Alpine — north along Rt-9W, 0.834% eff. (Bergen's lowest rate), $4M–$5M+ median, most exclusive/private. Englewood Cliffs — adjacent south, LG/Samsung HQ, 1.165% eff., $1.6M–$3.8M, lower bills. Tenafly — 2.154% eff., $23,036 avg, DFG I, own PreK–12 Tenafly Public Schools, $1.3M–$4M+ SFH, $208K median HH, Korean-American community, 400-acre Nature Center, GWB 5–8 miles. Key: Tenafly offers its own DFG I complete PreK–12 system (not a sending arrangement) at a bill that reflects the school's per-pupil investment. Cresskill is lower-bill but sends to NV/Demarest for HS.
Yes. The 33-day DOM (Movoto, October 2025 peak season), consistent $1.9M+ median sold, and very specific motivated buyer pool reflect a stable premium market. The buyer pool is among the guide's most clearly defined: Korean-American families who specifically need DFG I schools + Korean commercial infrastructure + GWB proximity — a combination that exists in Tenafly and nowhere else in Bergen County simultaneously; Jewish families (Orthodox and non-Orthodox) seeking DFG I schools and Jewish community infrastructure; international professional families (Japanese, European, Israeli) prioritizing the academic peer environment; and GWB-proximity buyers at the $1.5M–$4M+ price tier who have compared Tenafly, Alpine, Englewood Cliffs, and Cresskill. Spring and fall are strongest; the specific buyer profile is active year-round. Get a free Tenafly home valuation →
Movoto: 33-day DOM (October 2025 peak). Redfin: 73-day average (November 2025 — slower month). Redfin pending data: 29 pending at $1.6M median list, 53-day avg. Well-priced SFH at $1.5M–$2.5M in spring: typically 4–8 weeks. Key selling messages: DFG I — Bergen County's highest school classification (Tenafly PS PreK–12 complete), Tenafly HS Tigers 10.9:1, GWB 5–8 miles, $208,200 median HH income (Bergen's highest), 36% Asian/Korean-American community infrastructure (Tenafly Road, Dean Drive, Korean grocery, Korean services), 400-acre Tenafly Nature Center in-borough, 217 ft Palisades elevation (Hudson River views possible), 41% foreign-born (global professional community), $23,036 avg bill (Bergen's highest — but the effective rate is 2.154%), NJ Monthly #7 best NJ 2013, Dutch "Ten Swamps" 1688 heritage, Englewood Hospital 5 min. For Korean-American buyers specifically, the selling message is simple: Tenafly is where the Korean-American professional community in northern New Jersey lives when they can afford DFG I schools. Learn how we sell homes in Tenafly →
Tenafly is Bergen County's highest-income borough — and its name means "Ten Swamps" in 17th-century Dutch, given by settlers in 1688 who found the elevated, wetland-punctuated Palisades plateau wet and marginal. The 400-acre Nature Center now preserves what those settlers found uninviting. The borough was incorporated in 1894 at the height of the Boroughitis wave. The GWB is 5–8 miles east via Route 9W. The school district is DFG I — Bergen County's highest classification — with 10.9:1 at the high school. Thirty-six percent of residents are Asian, predominantly Korean-American, who have built the commercial and cultural infrastructure along Tenafly Road and Dean Drive that makes the borough one of the most complete Korean-American communities in northern New Jersey. Forty-one percent were born outside the United States. Seventy-nine percent have become citizens. The median household income is $208,200 — Bergen County's highest. The average tax bill is $23,036 — Bergen County's highest. The Tigers play in Black and Orange. The Nature Center has 200+ bird species. The Dutch settlers who called it Ten Swamps would not recognize it. The Korean-American families who chose it specifically for everything it is today would find that unsurprising.