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Cost of living, pay and housing

40.86° N · 74.26° W · GEOID 3452620

North Caldwell

Essex County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

New JerseyNorth Caldwell, NJNorth CaldwellNorth Caldwell

The short answer

North Caldwell is home to 6,656 people. Median household income is $208,245 a year and median rent is $3,329 a month, 19.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $904,500, about 4.3x annual median household income.

What sets North Caldwell apart is how far household money goes. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $160,000 a year, more than in 95% of places its size. Also notable: 98% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 287 New Jersey places we track.

62OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

North Caldwell scores better than 62% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 130th of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%48
Economy 20%53
Safety 20%96
Amenities 15%9
Education 10%99
Commute 10%22
Growth 5%24
Median gross rent
$3,329
144% above the median place
Median household income
$208,245
159% above the median place
Median home value
$904,500
183% above the median place
Unemployment
8.7%
78% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to North Caldwell

Essex County loses about 10.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in32,807
Moved out39,590
Net−6,783

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Union County, NJ3,3175,043−1,726
Hudson County, NJ4,6612,673+1,988
Passaic County, NJ2,2341,939+295
Kings County, NY2,9651,175+1,790
Bergen County, NJ1,9801,989−9
New York County, NY1,5841,122+462

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$97K
Leavers$92K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Essex County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.7% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Essex County report $96,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $92,400.
Income you would need
$133,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $3,329 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $904,500.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 30.6% work from home; 7.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Western Springs, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-10.6
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out8
$92,357
31% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$96,557
37% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureNorth CaldwellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.3%7% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.7%16% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-10.6below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$96,55737% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$92,35731% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median household earns $208,245 a year, more than in 97% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

North Caldwell19.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$133,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.2%
6% below the median place
Home price to income
4.3x
14% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$159,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in North Caldwell, $3,329 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like North Caldwell, but easier on the budget

Places that match North Caldwell on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Western Springs, IL9410.5% vs 19.2%$42,400Compare
Rye Brook, NY9312.6% vs 19.2%$45,200Compare
Glencoe, IL9210.7% vs 19.2%$58,300Compare
Fairfax Station, VA9115.8% vs 19.2%$18,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in North Caldwell.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to North Caldwell? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
97.9%
47% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
Median home value1
$904,500
183% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureNorth CaldwellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$3,329144% above
Rent to income119.2%6% below
Home price to income14.3x14% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,23338% above
HUD area median income4County figure$138,40029% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$904,500183% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.8%82% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure58.2%13% above
Homeownership197.9%47% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure55.1%9% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes1County figure5.1%28% below
Median year built119651% below
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $208,245, 159% above the median place.

Median household income1
$208,245
159% above the median place
Income per person1
$94,255
135% above the median place
Works from home1
30.6%
146% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureNorth CaldwellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$208,245159% above
Income per person1$94,255135% above
Unemployment1County figure8.7%78% above
Average annual pay6County figure$91,23838% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.2%14% below
Jobs6County figure353,038134% above
Poverty rate1County figure14.6%36% above
Mean commute130 min21% above
Works from home130.6%146% above
Commutes by transit17.0%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

81% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 98% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
80.5%
151% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
98.6%
7% above the median place
Household size1
3.0
21% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher96.5% +5%
Median age43.6 +12%
Born abroad11.7% +33%
All 9 people measures
MeasureNorth CaldwellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,6565578th largest
Population change since 202072.2%88% above
Median age143.612% above
Bachelor's or higher180.5%151% above
High school or higher196.5%5% above
Household size13.021% above
Born abroad111.7%33% above
No health insurance1County figure11.9%86% above
Homes with broadband198.6%7% above
05

Life in North Caldwell

20 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 92% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1898. 182 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.0 −71%
Playgrounds per 10k9.0 −4%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −85%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park 5 miles
  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park 6 miles
  • Morristown National Historical Park 12 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.5 −1%
Shops29.5 −3%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.1 +0%
Doctors' offices and clinics22.5 +11%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools14
2
78% below the median place
Students per teacher14
10.7
31% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
5.4
82% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureNorth CaldwellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14278% below
Public school students141,61967% below
Students per teacher1410.731% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.51% below
Shops per 10k9County figure29.53% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.10% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure22.511% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k103.071% below
Playgrounds per 10k109.04% below
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k100.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.385% below
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site115.482% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1120above (median 2)
National Register listings12County figure182above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 30, 85% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
30
85% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
147
88% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk16
10.6
83% below the median place
Heat wave risk16
99.0
10% above the median place
Good air days17
42.2%
38% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureNorth CaldwellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure86°F1% below
January average low15County figure23°F9% below
Average temperature15County figure54°F3% below
Annual precipitation15County figure48.6 in11% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure97.76% above
Hurricane risk16County figure91.830% above
Tornado risk16County figure94.917% above
Wildfire risk16County figure10.683% below
Heat wave risk16County figure99.010% above
Median air quality index17Metro figure5323% above
Good air days17Metro figure42.2%38% below
08

North Caldwell in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. Its projected home value growth beats 8%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$208,245 (2024)$261,000$220,500 to $309,000+3.8%
Median home value$904,500 (2024)$1,253,000$910,000 to $1,727,000+5.6%
Population6,815 (2025)6,9806,690 to 7,270+0.5%

The median home would be worth 4.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like North Caldwell

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
South Kensington, MD$3,479$210,953Compare
Fort Hunt, VA$3,501$216,038Compare
Old Tappan, NJ$3,501$205,385Compare
Tenafly, NJ$3,501$208,200Compare
Tenafly, NJOld Tappan, NJFort Hunt, VASouth Kensington, MDNorth Caldwell, NJNorth CaldwellSouth KensingtonFort HuntOld TappanNorth CaldwellSouth KensingtonFort HuntOld Tappan

Places built like North Caldwell

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how North Caldwell performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
North Caldwell, NJ19.2%2.1%/yr2.2%
Rumson, NJ16.8%5.8%/yr-2.3%Compare
Bernardsville, NJ11.7%7.4%/yr1.1%Compare
Woodcliff Lake, NJ10.6%4.6%/yr1.1%Compare
Rye Brook, NY12.6%11.8%/yr-0.3%Compare
Little Silver, NJ17.4%6.1%/yr-0.4%Compare
Packanack Lake, NJ19.7%10.6%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is North Caldwell a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 62 out of 100, better than 62% of the places we rate and 130th of 287 in New Jersey. On cost, space and class size it scores 94 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is North Caldwell expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $904,500.

What salary do you need to live in North Caldwell?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $133,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is North Caldwell safe?

There were 30 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to North Caldwell?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are South Kensington, MD, Fort Hunt, VA, Old Tappan, NJ and Tenafly, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares North Caldwell with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for North Caldwell itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/north-caldwell-new-jersey

Citytistics. “North Caldwell, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/north-caldwell-new-jersey/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.