Wallington
NJ
Average Sales Price
$623,898
Median Sales Price
$650,000
Population
11,305
Total Listings
28
Living in Wallington
Bergen County's Most Polish Borough. 45.8% Polish Ancestry.
0.99 Square Miles. $10,830 Avg Tax Bill.
Everything you need to know before making Wallington, NJ home.
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→Wallington is Bergen County's most Polish borough — 0.99 square miles, population approximately 11,850, incorporated January 1, 1895 (named after Walling Van Winkle, an early land owner), sitting at the convergence of Bergen and Passaic Counties on the banks of the Passaic River at just 20 feet elevation. The borough's defining demographic fact: 45.8% of residents claim Polish ancestry — the single most concentrated Polish-American community in Bergen County, reflecting the post-WWII immigration waves of Polish families fleeing Soviet influence that shaped the borough's mid-20th-century character. Macedonian (3.2%), Ukrainian (2.9%), and other Eastern European heritages layer beneath the dominant Polish identity. The Polish National Catholic Church, Polish-language institutions, and Polish bakeries, delis, and cultural organizations along Main Avenue and Union Boulevard reflect a community identity that persists across generations. At 12,112 persons per square mile, Wallington is one of Bergen County's most densely populated boroughs — packing 11,850 residents into less than one square mile with a multi-family and rental housing stock that the 37.5% homeownership rate reflects.
The school district — Wallington Public Schools, PreK–12, 3 schools, 1,232 students, 13.9:1, DFG B (Bergen County's lowest socioeconomic classification) — serves a community with a $41,675 per capita income and a 12.2% poverty rate. Wallington Jr./Sr. High School (234 Main Avenue, Panthers, Royal Blue and White, est. 1951, Grades 7–12, 566 students, 14.0:1, NJIC, rival: Becton Regional). The market: City-Data median $555,775 (2024); true SFH range approximately $500K–$650K. The 2024 average tax bill is $10,830 on Bergen County's highest general rate of 3.401% — a rate that reflects the low property values combined with the service demands of a dense, urban-character community. Route 21 (McCarter Highway) runs through the borough. NJ Transit buses connect to Passaic, Paterson, and the NYC metro. Farmland Dairies operates in-borough. Wallington is Bergen County's most authentically working-class, ethnically concentrated community — the borough that proves Bergen County's demographic range extends far beyond the prestige corridor.
🇵🇱
45.8% Polish Ancestry — Bergen's Most Polish Borough
Macedonian 3.2% · Ukrainian 2.9% · Eastern European
💰
$10,830 Avg Tax Bill · 3.401% Rate (Bergen's Highest)
NJ official 2024 · urban-density service demands
🏡
SFH ~$500K–$650K · 0.99 Sq Mi · 20 ft Elevation
City-Data $555K · dense urban-character · Passaic River
🏫
Wallington PS · DFG B · Panthers HS Est. 1951
3 schools · 1,232 students · 13.9:1 · NJIC · Grades 7–12
🚌
NJ Transit Bus · Route 21 · Rutherford ~5 min
Hackensack ~10 min · 45.4% foreign-born · dense urban
🏭
Farmland Dairies In-Borough · Passaic River Border
12,112/sq mi density · Bergen's most working-class
Commute & Connectivity
Getting There From Here
Wallington sits at the junction of Bergen and Passaic Counties on Route 21 (McCarter Highway), with NJ Transit bus connections to Passaic, Rutherford, Newark, and the Port Authority — and Rutherford's NJ Transit Main Line station just 5 minutes away by car.
NYC Port Authority (Bus)
NJ Transit bus via Route 21 / Lincoln Tunnel corridor
~45–60
minutes by bus
Rutherford Station (Train — NJ Transit Main Line)
Drive ~5 min · Hoboken Terminal ~15–20 min by train
~25–30
total minutes (drive + train)
George Washington Bridge (Car)
Via NJ Tpk / Rt-3 E / I-95 E · ~15 miles
~20–30
minutes by car (off-peak)
Hackensack (County Seat)
Via Rt-17 N / River Rd · ~6 miles
~10–15
minutes by car
Newark Liberty Airport
Via NJ Tpk S · ~12 miles
~15–20
minutes by car
Public Schools
Education That Raises Property Values
Wallington Public Schools: PreK–12, 3 schools, 1,232 students, 13.9:1, DFG B — including Wallington Jr./Sr. High School, the Panthers, established 1951, Grades 7–12, 566 students, Royal Blue and White, NJIC.
| School | Grades | Type | Student:Teacher | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert L. Craig Elementary School Wallington Public Schools · PreK–6 · DFG B |
PreK – 6 | Public | 13.9 : 1 | DFG B |
| Wallington Jr./Sr. High School (Grades 7–8) 234 Main Ave · same campus as HS · DFG B |
7 – 8 | Public | 14.0 : 1 | DFG B |
| Wallington Jr./Sr. High School (Grades 9–12) 234 Main Ave · Panthers · Royal Blue & White · Est. 1951 · 566 students |
9 – 12 | Public | 14.0 : 1 | DFG B · NJIC |
Wallington Public Schools: PreK–12 · 3 schools · 1,232 students (2024–25) · 13.9:1 · DFG B (Bergen County's lowest classification) · 88.6 FTE faculty · 234 Main Avenue. Wallington Jr./Sr. HS: 234 Main Avenue · Panthers · Royal Blue and White · est. 1951 · Grades 7–12 · 566 students (2023–24) · 14.0:1 · NJIC · rival: Henry P. Becton Regional HS. Bergen County Academies (BCA) accessible for qualifying students (~10–15 min to Hackensack).
Neighborhood Life
What Makes Wallington Wallington
Explore the Polish National Catholic Church, the kielbasa shops and Polish delis on Main Avenue, Farmland Dairies, the Passaic River border, and the working-class borough identity that 45.8% Polish ancestry, a 3.401% tax rate, and 12,112 persons per square mile produce in Bergen County's most authentically dense community.
Polish-American Community — 45.8% Polish Ancestry
Wallington's 45.8% Polish ancestry is Bergen County's single most concentrated ethnic heritage statistic — deeper than Fort Lee's Korean-American percentage, deeper than Palisades Park's Korean majority (though Palisades Park is Korean majority by percentage), and representing the most persistently dominant ethnic identity in any Bergen County community. Polish bakeries, delis, kielbasa shops, pierogi restaurants, and Polish cultural organizations along Main Avenue and Union Boulevard reflect a community where the Polish identity is not a nostalgic legacy but a living commercial and social presence. Post-WWII immigration waves brought Polish families fleeing Soviet influence; their descendants and continuing new arrivals have maintained the Polish character through subsequent generations. Macedonian (3.2%), Ukrainian (2.9%), and other Eastern European ancestries add to the Eastern European cultural depth.
45.8% Polish · Kielbasa · Pierogi · Polish Bakeries · Delis · Eastern European
Main Avenue Commercial Corridor
Main Avenue is Wallington's primary commercial street — a working-class urban commercial corridor reflecting the 12,112/sq mi density of a community where 45.4% were born outside the United States and the $41,675 per capita income reflects the working-class and immigrant character of the borough. Polish and Eastern European shops, diners, ethnic restaurants, pharmacies, and local services serve both the resident population and the commercial spillover from adjacent Garfield (Passaic County) and Lodi. The commercial character of Main Avenue is authentic to the community's identity — not curated for outside visitors but functional for the residents who live in one of Bergen County's most densely packed square miles.
Main Ave · Working-Class Commercial · Polish Shops · Diners · Ethnic Restaurants · Authentic
Farmland Dairies — In-Borough Dairy Operation
Farmland Dairies — established in 1970 as Wallington's remaining active dairy operation — is the borough's most distinctive industrial commercial landmark. For a 0.99-square-mile urban borough packed with 11,850 residents, housing an active dairy processing operation reflects the mixed residential-industrial character that Wallington's Route 21 corridor and Passaic River location have historically supported. The dairy presence is both a practical commercial asset and a community identity marker — the kind of working industrial character that distinguishes Wallington from the purely residential boroughs that surround it.
Farmland Dairies · Established 1970 · Active Dairy · In-Borough Industrial · Working Character
Polish National Catholic Church & Eastern European Heritage
The Polish National Catholic Church — the American denomination founded by Polish immigrants who separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1897 in Scranton, PA — has a presence in Wallington reflecting the borough's deep Polish immigrant heritage. Alongside Roman Catholic parishes, Ukrainian Orthodox and Macedonian community religious institutions, the religious landscape of Wallington reflects the specific Eastern European immigrant community pattern: Polish, Ukrainian, Macedonian, and other Central/Eastern European families who built their own institutions in Bergen County's most densely settled industrial borough. The 45.4% foreign-born population (33.5% from Europe) reflects continuing immigration into this established community pattern.
Polish National Catholic Church · Ukrainian Orthodox · Macedonian · Eastern European Institutions
Route 21 (McCarter Highway) — The Industrial Artery
Route 21 (McCarter Highway) runs through Wallington — the primary industrial and commercial artery of the Passaic Valley that connects Newark to Paterson along the Passaic River. The highway's construction in the 1950s and 1960s rerouted the Passaic River and relinquished Scott Street to state control, reshaping the borough's geography. For residents, Route 21 provides direct highway access to Newark (~15–20 min south), Paterson (~10 min north), and the NJ Turnpike. The highway's presence reflects Wallington's position at the southern tip of Bergen County's industrial corridor — adjacent to Garfield, Lodi, and the Passaic County manufacturing communities that define southern Bergen County's economic history.
Route 21 · McCarter Hwy · Passaic Valley Industrial · Newark ~15 min · Paterson ~10 min
Incorporated January 1, 1895 — Named for Walling Van Winkle
Wallington was incorporated on January 1, 1895 — the day after the petition was approved by 99 of 113 votes on December 12, 1894 — named after Walling Van Winkle, an early local land owner. The building of the Market Street Bridge in 1894 and the construction of the Passaic, Rutherford and Carlstadt Railway trolley that year caused the tremendous growth that motivated the borough's formation. Jacob Wagner was Wallington's first mayor. The borough's origin in trolley-era industrial development is appropriate: Wallington has been a working-class, transit-adjacent, densely populated community since its founding, and 130 years later the fundamental character has not changed.
Jan 1 1895 · 99-of-113 Vote · Walling Van Winkle · Market Street Bridge · Trolley Era
Passaic River Border — Flood Risk & Waterway Character
The Passaic River forms Wallington's southern border at 20 feet elevation — the lowest elevation of any community in this guide. The river provides both the industrial-era access that made Wallington's manufacturing character possible and the flood risk that periodic Passaic River flooding creates for the borough's lowest-lying properties. Buyers should research flood zone designations carefully for specific addresses. The river also provides the natural landscape boundary that separates Wallington from Rutherford and East Rutherford to the south — the visual and ecological edge of Bergen County's southernmost dense residential community.
Passaic River · 20 ft Elevation · Flood Risk · Industrial Heritage · Bergen/Passaic Border
Borough Parks & Recreation — Urban Scale
Wallington's municipal parks — within the 0.99-square-mile footprint — provide athletic fields, playgrounds, and community spaces appropriate for a densely packed urban community of 11,850. The borough's parks serve a community where 45.4% were born outside the United States and the working-class character produces youth athletics (soccer, baseball) as the primary outdoor community activity. The density — 12,112 persons per square mile — means park space is limited and intensively used. Neighboring Lyndhurst and Rutherford provide additional park and recreation access for Wallington residents who seek more open green space.
Urban Parks · Athletic Fields · Playgrounds · 12,112/sq mi · Dense Borough · Community
HackensackUMC (~10 min) · Passaic Hospital (~5 min) · Rutherford HS
HackensackUMC (~10 minutes north via Route 17) is Bergen County's top hospital. General Hospital Center at Passaic (~5 minutes east) is the nearest major hospital for Wallington's eastern and Passaic County-adjacent sections. St. Mary's General Hospital (Passaic) and St. Joseph's University Medical Center (Paterson) provide additional regional hospital access from the Passaic County direction. For a border community between Bergen and Passaic Counties, Wallington's hospital access reflects the institutional density of the Newark-Paterson-Hackensack urban triangle.
~10 min HackensackUMC · Passaic Hospital ~5 min · Bergen/Passaic Hospital Network
NJ Transit Bus Network · Rutherford Station (~5 min Drive)
NJ Transit bus service along Route 21 and Main Avenue connects Wallington to Passaic, Paterson, Newark, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. For NJ Transit Main Line rail access: Rutherford Station is approximately 5 minutes by car — providing Hoboken Terminal access in 15–20 minutes and Penn Station in approximately 30 minutes. The combination of in-borough bus service and drive-to-Rutherford rail access gives Wallington's working-class commuters multi-modal transit options that the borough's position at the Bergen-Passaic border facilitates.
NJ Transit Bus · Route 21 · Rutherford Station ~5 min · Hoboken ~20 min · Multi-Modal
Wallington Public Library
Part of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, serving a working-class community of 11,850 where 45.4% were born outside the United States, 45.8% claim Polish ancestry, and the per capita income is $41,675. Polish-language resources, Eastern European cultural programming, and immigrant services reflect the library's role in serving one of Bergen County's most internationally composed communities. The library is a critical civic institution in a borough where 12.2% live in poverty and many residents navigate language, immigration, and economic challenges simultaneously.
BCCLS · Polish Resources · Immigrant Services · 45.4% Foreign-Born · Eastern European
3.401% — Bergen County's Highest General Tax Rate
Wallington's 3.401% general tax rate is Bergen County's highest — the rate that the NJ Division of Taxation confirmed for 2024 along with the $10,830 average residential bill. The high rate and below-Bergen-average absolute bill reflect the structural reality of a dense, working-class urban borough: low property values relative to service demands. The urban-density service requirements — dense population, aging infrastructure, social services for 12.2% poverty rate — drive the rate up while the lower assessed property values keep the absolute bill below the Bergen average of $13,329. The $10,830 bill is actually below the Bergen County average despite the highest rate in the county — a specific artifact of the low-value/high-rate combination that characterizes Wallington's tax structure. Bills due quarterly.
3.401% Bergen's Highest Rate · $10,830 Below Bergen Avg · Low Value/High Rate Dynamic
Industrial Latex Corp Superfund Site — Environmental History
Industrial Latex Corporation — which produced adhesives from natural and synthetic materials — operated in Wallington until environmental concerns led to its designation as a Superfund site. The Superfund designation reflects Wallington's industrial manufacturing heritage along the Passaic River corridor and the environmental legacy of 20th-century chemical manufacturing in a densely populated urban borough. Buyers should research specific property locations relative to environmental designations. The Superfund history is consistent with the broader Passaic River Valley industrial corridor that Wallington has occupied since the trolley era of the 1890s.
Industrial Latex Superfund · Environmental History · Passaic Valley Industrial · Research Required
Working-Class Political Character — Republican Since 2016
In the November 2024 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump won Wallington 64.5% to 35.5% — a dominant result in a Bergen County borough that had previously been Democratic. The 2024 result reflects a sustained shift since 2016 when Trump first flipped the borough from Democratic control, reversing the 12-point Obama margin from 2012. Political analysts connect this shift to the working-class demographic and historical ethnic enclaves, including Polish and Hungarian communities, that may align with Republican emphases on economic and immigration issues. Wallington represents a genuine working-class community whose political orientation reflects its economic and demographic composition rather than Bergen County's generally liberal suburban character.
64.5% Trump 2024 · Flipped 2016 · Working-Class · Polish/Eastern European · Economic Issues
Main Avenue In-Borough Commercial · Polish & Eastern European
Main Avenue's working-class commercial corridor provides everyday grocery, pharmacy, Polish specialty food, ethnic bakeries, and local services for the borough's 11,850 residents. Polish grocery stores, kielbasa delis, pierogi shops, and Eastern European specialty retailers give Main Avenue a cultural commercial character that serves the 45.8% Polish-ancestry community with authentic in-borough access. For buyers from Polish, Ukrainian, Macedonian, or broader Eastern European backgrounds, Wallington's commercial identity is a specific cultural amenity that no other Bergen County borough provides at this depth.
Main Ave · Polish Grocery · Kielbasa Delis · Pierogi · Eastern European · Cultural Commercial
Garfield (~5 min) · Lodi (~5 min) · Rutherford (~5 min)
Garfield (adjacent east, Passaic County) provides additional commercial access via Main Avenue extension into Passaic County's commercial corridors. Lodi (~5 min west) provides Route 46 commercial access and additional Polish and diverse ethnic retail. Rutherford (~5 min south, Park Avenue downtown, Williams Center) provides the walkable main street experience that Wallington's own commercial character does not include. For major retail: Paramus Garden State Plaza approximately 15–20 minutes northwest. East Rutherford's American Dream mall approximately 10 minutes south.
~5 min Garfield · ~5 min Lodi · ~5 min Rutherford Park Ave · Paramus ~15 min
Passaic Hospital (~5 min) · HackensackUMC (~10 min) · Newark ~15 min
General Hospital Center at Passaic (~5 min east) for the nearest major hospital. HackensackUMC (~10 min north via Route 17) for Bergen County's top hospital. Newark Liberty Airport (~15–20 min south via NJ Turnpike) — among the closest airport access of any Bergen County residential community. For Wallington's working-class residents who rely on car commuting, the NJ Turnpike proximity via Route 21 south provides unusually direct Newark Airport access from this specific southern Bergen location.
Passaic Hospital ~5 min · HackensackUMC ~10 min · Newark Airport ~15 min via NJ Tpk
By the Numbers
Wallington at a Glance
Municipality Type
Borough
Bergen County · 0.99 sq mi · est. Jan 1 1895 · 20 ft elev.
Population
~11,825–11,868
12,112/sq mi · 45.4% foreign-born · 45.8% Polish
Per Capita Income
$41,675
12.2% poverty · 37.5% homeownership · working-class
SFH Median Price
~$500K–$650K
City-Data $555K · Bergen's affordable urban tier
Avg Tax Bill (2024)
$10,830
3.401% rate (Bergen's highest) · below Bergen avg
School District
DFG B · 13.9:1
3 schools · Panthers HS 7–12 · est. 1951 · NJIC
Zip Code
07057
Passaic River border · Route 21 · Farmland Dairies
Polish Ancestry
45.8%
Bergen's most Polish · Macedonian 3.2% · Ukrainian 2.9%
Explore the Area
Similar Towns Near Wallington
Buyers considering Wallington often explore these neighboring southern Bergen and Passaic County border communities — from adjacent Lodi and Garfield to step-up Rutherford and Lyndhurst, all within 10 minutes.
Lodi
Adjacent W · Route 46 · diverse · comparable tier
→
Rutherford
Adjacent S · Park Ave · NJ Transit · WCW · step-up
→
Lyndhurst
Adjacent · 2.086% rate · new NJ Transit 2025 · step-up
→
North Arlington
Nearby · 8.5 mi Manhattan · #14 hottest NJ 2026
→
East Rutherford
Adjacent S · MetLife Stadium · $7,787 avg bill
→
Garfield
Adjacent E (Passaic Co.) · "City of Champions" · 2 trains
→
Hackensack
Nearby N · BCA · HackensackUMC · county seat
→
Saddle Brook
Nearby N · Route 46/I-80 · $10,666 avg bill · family
→
Elmwood Park
Nearby · Route 46 · diverse · NJ Transit · step-up
→Demographics
Data provided by Attom Data
Population
Employment
Population
11.3K
11.3K in 2020
Density
11.1K
per square mile
Households
4.6K
27 With Children
Gender
48% / 52%
Men Vs Women
Occupancy
39% / 61%
Owned Vs Rented
Age Median: -- Years
No Data
Education Level
No Data
Educational Environment
Elementary Schools (3)Middle Schools (2)High Schools (1)
Name
Category
Grades
Library
Ratio
8/10
Jefferson Elementary School
32 Pine St, Wallington, NJ 07057
Public
KG - 3
No
16:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
6/10
Gavlak Elementary School
106 King St, Wallington, NJ 07057
Public
KG - 6
No
13:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
0/10
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
6 Bond St, Wallington, NJ 07057
Private
PK - 8
Yes
10:1 STUDENTS/TEACHERS
Amenities & Attractions
Featured Listings
For Sale (44)
For Sold (299)
Open Sat 12PM-2PM5 Beds3 Baths17 Kossuth ST, Wallington, NJ 07057
MLS# 26023946
Listed by Halina Strzepek of LPT Realty
New2 Beds1 Bath23 Koster ST #1Fl, Wallington, NJ 07057
MLS# 26025755
Listed by Tamding Dolma of Keller Williams Park Views
New2 Beds3 Baths1,488 SqFt4 Jeanine Lane #4, Wallington, NJ 07057
Listed by Imperial Realty Properties
New3 Beds3 Baths15 Morrissee AVE, Wallington, NJ 07057
MLS# 26026169
Listed by Besmir Vatoci of Corcoran Infinity Properties
New2 Beds1 Bath79 Tuttle ST #2, Wallington, NJ 07057
MLS# 26025677
Listed by Ewa Miragliotta of Gild Realty
New3 Beds2 Baths41 Mercer ST, Wallington, NJ 07057
MLS# 26021493
Listed by Su Zheng of EXP Realty, LLC - Englewood Cliffs
Similar Neighborhood
Common Questions
Wallington, NJ — Frequently Asked Questions
Real answers about buying, selling, taxes, schools, and daily life in Wallington — Bergen County's most Polish borough: 45.8% Polish ancestry, 0.99 square miles, 12,112 persons/sq mi, $10,830 avg tax bill, 3.401% general rate (Bergen's highest), DFG B schools, $500K–$650K SFH, Passaic River border, Farmland Dairies in-borough, and 130 years of working-class Eastern European identity since 1895.
Wallington is a thin, urban-character market at Bergen County's most affordable SFH tier. City-Data: $555,775 median home/condo value (2024). Redfin: $555K (May 2023, historical). Rocket Homes: $772K list (Feb 2025 — thin, high-end listing skewing the median; unreliable with only 12 homes for sale). True SFH working range approximately $500K–$650K. The market is thin by volume — typically 10–20 active listings — reflecting both the small geographic footprint (0.99 sq mi) and the relatively high proportion of renters (62.5% rental units, 37.5% homeownership). Multi-family properties (2–4 units) are a significant portion of the Wallington market and often generate investor interest alongside the SFH buyer profile. The buyer profile: Polish-American families maintaining intergenerational community presence; working-class buyers entering Bergen County at the most affordable SFH price tier; and investors seeking multi-family rental income at the Bergen-Passaic border. Talk to us about current Wallington market conditions →
The practical range: Condos and smaller units: $350K–$480K. 2-unit multi-family: $500K–$650K (City-Data $629K mean for 2-unit structures). Standard SFH detached: $550K–$680K (City-Data $635K mean for detached houses). 3–4 unit multi-family: $480K–$600K (City-Data $537K mean). The mixed housing stock reflects the 62.5% renter / 37.5% owner split that makes Wallington one of Bergen County's most rental-heavy communities. City-Data's $555,775 overall median and $635,762 mean for detached SFH provide the most reliable benchmarks. For buyers seeking Bergen County's most affordable SFH entry in a densely urban character borough with Polish cultural identity, Wallington is the answer.
Wallington's housing stock reflects its urban density and working-class character. 2-family and multi-unit properties — the most common investment and ownership type in a community where 62.5% of units are rental; often owner-occupied with income-producing rental units. Cape Cods and ranches — the 1940s–1960s SFH stock at the lower end of the price range. Colonials — the post-war suburban stock at the upper SFH range. Condos and townhouses — an increasing portion of the stock. Redfin's listing data shows townhouses and multi-family units as a significant share of active listings. The 12,112/sq mi density means lots are small and properties are often close-set — consistent with an urban-character borough at 20 feet elevation. Buyers seeking larger lots and more space should compare adjacent Lodi, Lyndhurst, and Rutherford.
Wallington is primarily a car-commuter community with NJ Transit bus access. By bus: NJ Transit bus service along Route 21 (McCarter Highway) to Port Authority Bus Terminal approximately 45–60 minutes. By car via NJ Turnpike/GWB: GWB approximately 20–30 minutes off-peak; Newark Airport approximately 15–20 minutes south. For NJ Transit rail: Rutherford Station is approximately 5 minutes by car — providing Hoboken Terminal in 15–20 minutes and Penn Station in 30 minutes. DataUSA: average commute time 29.4 minutes — slightly above the national average, reflecting the car-primary commute pattern. The Passaic River and Route 21 position give Wallington direct access to the NJ Turnpike and Newark corridor that is faster for airport and Newark-direction commutes than for Manhattan-direction commutes.
The Wallington Public Schools — PreK–12, 3 schools, 1,232 students (2024–25), 13.9:1 ratio, DFG B (Bergen County's lowest socioeconomic classification) — operate the borough's complete PreK–12 system. Wallington Jr./Sr. High School (234 Main Avenue, Panthers, Royal Blue and White, established 1951, Grades 7–12, 566 students, 14.0:1, NJIC, rival: Becton Regional) serves grades 7–12 on a combined campus. The DFG B classification reflects the community's socioeconomic character — $41,675 per capita income, 12.2% poverty rate. Bergen County Academies (BCA) in Hackensack is accessible for qualifying students (~10–15 min north). The honest assessment: Wallington PS is a functional community school district serving a working-class community — DFG B is Bergen County's lowest classification, and the 13.9:1 ratio is among the county's highest. Families prioritizing school classification will find better options in adjacent Lyndhurst, Rutherford, or Lodi at comparable price tiers. Polish-language cultural education is available through community institutions outside the public school system.
Wallington's general tax rate is 3.401% — Bergen County's highest. The 2024 official average residential tax bill is $10,830 (NJ Division of Taxation) — below the Bergen County average of $13,329 despite the highest rate. The paradox: Bergen County's highest rate + below-Bergen-average bill reflects the structural reality of a dense, working-class urban borough where assessed property values are well below market values for most of the stock, and where dense-population service demands drive the rate up. City-Data: "median real estate taxes $10,001 (1.6%)" for mortgaged homes — the 1.6% effective rate confirms assessed values lagging market values. On a $550K home assessed at $300K: approximately $10,000/year. On a $620K home: approximately $11,200–$21,100 depending on assessment. The 3.401% rate represents the cost of dense-population services (12,112/sq mi), aging infrastructure, and social services for a 12.2% poverty community without the commercial or industrial tax base to offset residential rates. Tax bills due quarterly. Buyers should verify specific assessed values; Wallington has significant assessment-to-market-value variation across properties.
The southern Bergen working-class tier comparison: Lodi — adjacent, Route 46, diverse, $550K–$650K SFH, DFG FG (higher), $10,818 avg bill, comparable character. Rutherford — adjacent south, Park Avenue downtown, NJ Transit Main Line, DFG GH (higher), $13,645 avg bill, $650K–$900K SFH — step-up in schools, character, and price. Lyndhurst — adjacent, 2.086% rate (much lower), new NJ Transit station June 2025, $580K–$700K SFH, DFG FG. Garfield — adjacent east (Passaic County), 2 NJ Transit stations, diverse, $584K–$665K, DFG CD. North Arlington — nearby, 8.5 mi Manhattan, $575K–$700K. Wallington — 3.401% rate (Bergen's highest), $10,830 avg bill, DFG B (Bergen's lowest), 45.8% Polish, $500K–$650K, 0.99 sq mi urban density. For Polish-American buyers specifically: no Bergen County community offers Wallington's cultural density at any price. For general buyers: Lodi and Lyndhurst offer comparable prices with better school classifications and lower effective rates.
Yes for correctly priced properties, with the caveat that the Wallington market is thin and buyer-specific. The buyer pool: Polish-American families maintaining generational community presence in the borough (the most loyally place-attached buyer profile in this guide — buyers who specifically want to live in Bergen County's Polish community); working-class buyers entering Bergen County at the most affordable SFH price tier; and multi-family investors seeking rental income at the Bergen-Passaic border. The 45.4% foreign-born population and the ongoing Polish immigration ensure a continued community buyer base. Properties priced correctly for the DFG B school classification, high tax rate, and urban-density character sell to motivated buyers from within the specific community. Overpriced listings relative to neighboring Lodi and Lyndhurst will sit. Get a free Wallington home valuation →
Redfin: 90-day average DOM (May 2023 data — older). Rocket: 66-day average listing age (Feb 2025). The thin market means DOM varies significantly by property type and pricing. SFH priced at $540K–$610K in spring: typically 4–8 weeks for correctly priced properties. Multi-family priced with rental income rationale: investor buyers often move more quickly. Key selling messages: 45.8% Polish ancestry — Bergen County's most Polish community (unique cultural anchor for Polish buyers); $10,830 official avg bill (below Bergen avg despite 3.401% rate); $500K–$650K Bergen County entry SFH; Polish delis/bakeries/kielbasa on Main Ave; Farmland Dairies in-borough; Rutherford NJ Transit 5 min; HackensackUMC 10 min; Newark Airport 15 min via NJ Tpk; incorporated 1895; Passaic River border; dense community character. The Polish community selling message is the most specific in the guide — no buyer from outside the community will pay a premium for it, but the right buyer will absolutely pay for it. Learn how we sell homes in Wallington →
Wallington is Bergen County's most Polish borough — and has been since the post-WWII immigration waves brought Polish families fleeing Soviet influence into the borough's dense, working-class urban character. Forty-five-point-eight percent of residents claim Polish ancestry. Macedonian 3.2%. Ukrainian 2.9%. Forty-five percent were born outside the United States. The borough is 0.99 square miles. It has 11,850 residents and 12,112 of them per square mile. The Passaic River forms the southern border at 20 feet elevation — the lowest point in Bergen County by this guide's records. Route 21 runs through the borough. Farmland Dairies has been operating here since 1970. The Panthers have been playing at 234 Main Avenue since 1951. Jacob Wagner was Wallington's first mayor in 1895, elected after 99 of 113 residents voted to incorporate. The borough was named for Walling Van Winkle. The tax rate is 3.401% — Bergen County's highest. The average bill is $10,830 — below the Bergen County average. The kielbasa shop on Main Avenue is open on Saturday. The Polish National Catholic Church holds services. In the 2024 election, 64.5% of voters chose Donald Trump — the most Republican vote share in a Bergen County borough with a significant immigrant population, which tells you something specific about the working-class Polish-American identity that two generations of community-building in 0.99 square miles produces. Wallington is Bergen County's proof that a county famous for its prestige corridor has always contained something more complicated and more interesting at its southern end.