Garfield, NJ Real Estate Guide for Buyers, Sellers & Renters

Garfield is a compact Bergen County city of about 32,700 residents as of the 2020 Census, packed into roughly two square miles along the Passaic River. Founded in 1873 as East Passaic and renamed for President James Garfield in 1881, it became a city in 1917. Today it pairs two train stations with a housing stock built largely around two-to-four-unit buildings, plus a wave of newer townhomes and apartments on former industrial sites. It's also home base for us: The Thompson Realty Group is headquartered at 20 MacArthur Avenue in Garfield, so this is a market we work in every day.

Why People Choose Garfield

Location is a big part of it. Garfield sits where Bergen County meets Passaic County, with the Passaic River on one side (three bridges connect it to Passaic and Clifton) and the Saddle River forming its border with Wallington. U.S. Route 46 and County Route 507 run through the city, putting the rest of North Jersey within a short drive.

The other draw is the housing itself. Multi-unit homes are the most common building type in Garfield, which gives buyers a realistic path to owning property that produces rental income.

Getting Around: Commuting from Garfield

• Train: NJ Transit's Bergen County Line stops at two stations in the city. Garfield station sits at Midland Avenue and Passaic Street, and Plauderville station is on the north side at Midland Avenue and Outwater Lane. Trains run to Hoboken Terminal, with a transfer at Secaucus Junction for New York Penn Station.
• Parking at the stations: This matters when you choose a street. Garfield station has no car parking, so it suits people who can walk or bike to it. Plauderville has 259 spaces across three free lots.
• Bus: NJ Transit routes 160 and 161 run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Local routes 702, 707, 709 and 758 serve the surrounding area.
• Car: Midland Avenue, Outwater Lane, River Drive and Passaic Street are the main local roads, with quick access to Route 46.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

Garfield's housing is older and more multi-family than most of Bergen County. Roughly six in ten homes are in duplexes or small apartment buildings, and about three-quarters of the housing was built before 1970. Place names you'll hear include Plauderville, Belmont, Bogart Heights and Dundee Dam. Here's what you'll find:

• Two-to-four-family homes: Garfield's most common property type, found throughout the city. These are the backbone of both the owner-occupant and the investor market here.
• Single-family homes: About one in five homes in the city.
• Signature Place townhomes: Built on the former Garden State Paper Company site on River Drive, this redevelopment added 187 townhomes and 102 apartments, giving buyers a newer-construction option.
• New apartment buildings: Garfield 99, at 99 Passaic Street across from the train station, was completed in 2023 with 86 units. Another 74 apartments went up on the former Sketchley Services site on Cherry Street, near Plauderville station.

Buying a Home in Garfield

For many buyers, Garfield is one of the most practical places in Bergen County to buy a multi-family home. If you're using an FHA loan, you can buy a two-to-four-family property with a low down payment as long as you live in one of the units, and the rent from the other units can help carry the mortgage. Single-family homes and the Signature Place townhomes give buyers who don't want to be landlords other ways in.

A few things we help buyers check:

• Older-home inspections: With so much of Garfield's housing built before 1970, we pay close attention to heating systems, electrical service, roofs, foundations and any oil tanks.
• Rental unit details: On a multi-family, we review existing leases, rent history and separate utilities before you commit.
• Flood zones: The Saddle River has repeatedly flooded properties in Garfield and neighboring towns, and the city has promoted the state's Blue Acres flood buyout program to homeowners. We check FEMA flood maps and insurance costs up front for any home near the rivers.
• HOA review: For townhomes, we look at association fees, reserves and rules.
• Property taxes: We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering so your budget is accurate.

Need financing? We can connect you with a lender for pre-approval before you start touring.

Selling Your Garfield Home

Garfield sellers usually have several buyer pools to market to: FHA owner-occupants, cash investors, commuters looking for rail access and first-time buyers. Because our office is in Garfield, we know how a two-family near Plauderville, a single-family off Midland Avenue and a townhome on River Drive each compete. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis using recent sales of homes like yours, then market it across the MLS and every major online channel.

Renting and Investing in Garfield

Most Garfield households rent, and the rental supply runs from apartments in two-family homes to the newer buildings on Passaic Street and Cherry Street. We help renters find units that fit their budget and commute, and we help landlords price, market and screen tenants.

For investors, Garfield's deep supply of two-to-four-family homes and its rail access are the main attractions. The city is also investing in its core. Its redevelopment agency secured $1.1 million in grants for a new streetscape on the Passaic Street "River to Rail" corridor, which runs from River Drive to Marselus Place, and Bergen County has agreed to repave Passaic Street when that work is finished. Before you buy, we'll run realistic numbers on rents, taxes, insurance and repairs.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Dahnert's Lake County Park, a 10-acre Bergen County park in the center of the city with a walking and biking path, a playground, roller hockey and catch-and-release fishing
• Garfield Public Library, 500 Midland Avenue
• Retail center on Passaic Street, on the former Vornado site, with Walmart, Burlington, Marshalls, PetSmart and Ulta
• The Passaic River waterfront along River Drive
• Public schools: Garfield Public Schools, including Garfield High School

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Garfield with nearby towns? Read our guides to Lodi, Wallington, Elmwood Park and Clifton, or browse all of our North Jersey town guides.

Talk to a Local Broker

The Thompson Realty Group is a licensed New Jersey real estate brokerage based at 20 MacArthur Ave in Garfield, serving buyers, sellers, renters and investors across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties. Whether you're a first-time FHA buyer, a cash investor, or a homeowner wondering what your place is worth, we'll give you straight answers about Garfield.

Call or text 201-928-5562 or book a free 15-minute consultation. You can also search every active New Jersey listing on our website.

Information on this page is provided for general guidance and is believed accurate as of October 2026. Programs, ordinances, taxes and transit schedules change, so please verify details for any specific property. Equal Housing Opportunity.