Garwood, NJ Real Estate Guide: Buy, Sell & Rent

Garwood is a small Union County borough of about two-thirds of a square mile between Cranford and Westfield, with 4,454 residents counted in the 2020 Census. It began as a railroad and factory town, and its housing still reflects that history: alongside single-family homes, two-family houses make up a large share of the stock. Here's what you should know before you buy, sell, rent or invest in Garwood.

Why People Choose Garwood

Garwood's story starts with the Central Railroad of New Jersey. In 1891, Samuel Garwood and John Rogers Maxwell, then the railroad's president, formed the Garwood Land and Improvement Company and sold industrial sites with direct rail access, promoting the area as a new town on the line between Westfield and Cranford. Factories followed along the tracks, including Hall Signal Company, Hercules Tube Works and the Aeolian Company. Garwood became its own borough on March 19, 1903, and took its name from Samuel Garwood.

Today the draw is practical. Garwood is compact, with its train station in the downtown, NJ Transit bus routes to Manhattan, county and borough parks, and a mix of single-family, two-family and multi-unit housing.

Getting Around: Commuting from Garwood

• Train: Garwood station, which opened in 1892, is on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, with service toward Newark Penn Station and connections to New York. We'll check the current timetable against your work schedule for any home you're considering.
• Bus: NJ Transit lists Port Authority Bus Terminal connections at Garwood on routes 113 and 114, plus local routes 59 and 66.
• Car: Route 28 is the borough's main highway, running east to Cranford and west to Westfield.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

Garwood is small enough that buyers usually think in terms of housing type rather than named neighborhoods. According to the borough's municipal profile, which draws on Census survey data:

• Single-family homes: Just over half of Garwood's roughly 1,800 housing units are detached single-family homes, with a small number of attached homes.
• Two-family homes: More than a quarter of the borough's housing units are in two-unit buildings.
• Multi-unit buildings: About 15 percent of units are in buildings with three or more units.
• Station area: The borough's South Avenue Transit Oriented Redevelopment Plan, adopted in 2017 and later amended, allows multifamily apartments along with small-scale retail, restaurant and office uses near the station.

The housing is older overall. The municipal profile notes that almost three-quarters of Garwood's homes were built before 1960.

Buying a Home in Garwood

Garwood gives buyers two clear paths: a single-family home, or a two-family where rent from the second unit helps carry the mortgage. If you're using an FHA loan, a two-to-four family property can be bought with a low down payment as long as you live in one of the units. Here's what we help buyers check:

• Rental licensing on multi-unit homes: Under Chapter 67 of the borough code, a rental unit must be registered, inspected and licensed before it can be rented, and licensed again whenever occupancy changes. If you're buying a two-family with a tenant, we confirm the unit's status before closing.
• Older-home inspections: Plan on a careful look at the roof, electrical, plumbing, heating and any past conversions, especially in older two-family houses.
• Property taxes: We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering so you can budget accurately.

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

Selling Your Garwood Home

Because Garwood has so many two-family homes, sellers often have two audiences: owner-occupants who want rental income and investors focused on the numbers. A single-family and a two-family on the same block can price very differently. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis using recent sales of homes like yours, help you get rental registration and inspection paperwork in order, and market your home across every MLS and online channel.

Renting and Investing in Garwood

With so many two-family homes and multi-unit buildings, Garwood has a steady supply of rental units. For investors, the borough's rental licensing and inspection rules are part of the plan from day one, and developers should note that Chapter 51 of the borough code requires a share of income-restricted units in new developments of five or more units. We help investors run realistic numbers on rents, taxes, insurance and condition, and we help landlords price, market and screen tenants for their rentals.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Garwood train station on the Raritan Valley Line
• Garwood Sports and Recreation Complex, 140 Myrtle Avenue, with a field house, multi-purpose field, basketball court and walking track
• Unami Park, a Union County park off Hickory Avenue shared with Westfield, with ball fields, tennis courts and a playground
• Hartman Park on Second Avenue
• Georgiana Memorial Park at Walnut Street and Fourth Avenue
• Public schools: Garwood Public Schools (Lincoln School). High school students attend Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark under a sending-receiving arrangement.

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Garwood with nearby towns? Read our guides to Cranford, Westfield and Clark, 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 Garwood.

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.