Upper Saddle River doesn't compete on price. It never has. What it sells is space, and in Bergen County right now, that's a rare commodity.
The town sits in northern Bergen County with a rural feel that surprises people who've only heard about Jersey suburbs from friends in the city. Lots here run an acre, an acre and a half, sometimes more. You see horses. You see stone walls and winding driveways. You see the kind of property where your kids can actually play in the backyard without hearing Route 17.
But let's talk numbers.
Bergen County's median single-family sale price is sitting at $946,000 right now, with just 2.5 months of inventory and homes closing at 105.5% of list. Upper Saddle River runs well above that median. Entry-level here starts around $1.1 to $1.3 million for something that needs work, and move-in ready colonials and new construction routinely push past $2 million. The market isn't frantic like it was in 2021, but it's still tight. A well-priced home on a good street will draw multiple offers, and cash buyers aren't uncommon.
Why do people pay it? Schools are the obvious answer. Upper Saddle River feeds into Northern Highlands Regional High School, consistently one of the top-ranked public high schools in New Jersey. Elementary and middle schools are right in town and earn top marks every year. Families moving out of the city or upgrading from smaller Bergen towns often zero in on Upper Saddle River for the school district alone.
The tradeoff is commute. There's no train station in town. Most commuters drive to the Ramsey or Allendale station on the Main/Bergen Line, or they take the bus. If you work in the city five days a week, you feel it. If you're hybrid or remote, the space more than makes up for it.
What's available right now is thin. That's the story across Bergen County, but in Upper Saddle River it's especially true because people don't leave once they get here. Homes trade less often, and when they do, they move fast.
If you've been thinking about Upper Saddle River, the move is to get on the ground now before spring inventory hits and the competition gets deeper. Know the streets, know the school zones, and have someone who can get you in the door before the sign hits the lawn.
Daniel Chamoun, REALTOR
[email protected] | (201) 543-1774
