Glen Rock, NJ Real Estate Guide: Buy, Sell & Rent

Glen Rock is a compact Bergen County borough of about 12,100 residents as of the 2020 Census, covering roughly 2.7 square miles between Ridgewood, Fair Lawn and Hawthorne. It takes its name from a glacial boulder that still sits where Rock Road meets Doremus Avenue, and it has two separate NJ Transit rail stations on two different lines. Here's what you should know before you make a move in Glen Rock.

Why People Choose Glen Rock

Rail access is the big draw. Glen Rock has stations on both the Main Line and the Bergen County Line, and its central business district is a short stretch of Rock Road running right between the two. That puts shops, the municipal building and both train platforms within a few blocks of each other.

Glen Rock also has a long history. It was incorporated as a borough in 1894 from parts of Ridgewood Township and Saddle River Township, and some of its homes are far older than the borough itself. The Hendrick Hopper House at Ackerman and Hillman Avenues, an early stone farmhouse, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983.

Getting Around: Commuting from Glen Rock

• Main Line: Glen Rock–Main Line station, at Rock Road and Main Street, runs to Hoboken Terminal, with a transfer at Secaucus Junction for New York Penn Station. Its depot was completed in 1905.
• Bergen County Line: Glen Rock–Boro Hall station, at Harding Plaza next to the municipal building, also runs to Hoboken with a Secaucus Junction transfer. Its platforms are reached by ramps.
• Bus: NJ Transit buses stop at a bus station next to Boro Hall, including the 164 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station. Local route 746 runs along Maple Avenue.
• Car: Route 208 runs through the borough, linking Fair Lawn to the southeast with Oakland to the northwest.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

Glen Rock is mostly a single-family town. A 1983 Bergen County Historic Sites Survey described its homes as overwhelmingly single-family, and the borough's two main residence zones, A-1 and A-2, are designed for single-family use. Most of the borough's growth came between the early 1900s and the 1930s, when the population rose from about 600 to more than 4,000.

That history shows up in the variety of homes:

• Early stone farmhouses: A handful of 18th-century stone houses survive on Prospect Street and Ackerman Avenue.
• Early 20th-century homes: Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts, Queen Anne, Mission and Tudor houses from the borough's main building boom, many with the stone walls that became popular in that era.
• Later single-family homes: Mid-century and newer houses fill in the rest of the borough's residential streets.
• Townhouses and multifamily: Glen Rock's zoning code also includes a townhouse district (A-2T) and a multifamily district (A-2MF), so attached options do exist, just in smaller numbers.

Ferndale, an unincorporated community, lies partly within the borough.

What's Changing

The Planning Board adopted an updated Housing Element and Fair Share Plan in June 2025 covering 2025 to 2035. In March 2026, the Borough Council gave final approval to Ordinance 1956, which updates an affordable housing overlay zone in the Rock Road business district. It allows mixed-use buildings with apartments on the second and third floors over ground-floor commercial space, and requires at least 20% of the units to be affordable. If those projects move forward, they would add apartment options close to both train stations.

Buying a Home in Glen Rock

Because most of the housing is single-family, Glen Rock buyers are usually choosing among detached homes of different ages and styles. A few things we help buyers check:

• Home inspections: Much of Glen Rock was built between the early 1900s and the 1930s, so many homes have decades of updates behind them. We make sure you get a thorough inspection covering the roof, foundation, heating system, plumbing and electrical, plus any past additions and renovations.
• Flooding: Diamond Brook runs through the borough, and borough officials reported homes with several feet of water after a September 2021 storm. We check FEMA flood maps, flood history and insurance needs for any home you're considering.
• Property taxes: Taxes are a major part of any New Jersey budget. We pull the current tax figure for every home on your list.
• Financing: FHA, conventional and cash buyers all compete here. We can connect you with a lender for pre-approval so your offer is ready when the right house comes up.

Selling Your Glen Rock Home

In a borough with two train stations, location relative to the rail lines is a real selling point. A home within walking distance of either station, or a well-kept example of a 1920s Tudor or Colonial, has strong selling points that belong front and center in the marketing. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis using recent sales of comparable homes, advise on which updates are worth making, and market your home across the MLS and every major online channel.

Renting and Investing in Glen Rock

Glen Rock's rental market is small compared with neighboring towns because so much of the housing is single-family. For investors, single-family rentals and any future units built under the Rock Road overlay are the main options. We'll walk you through realistic rents, taxes, insurance and condition before you buy, and we help landlords price, market and screen tenants.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• The Glen Rock boulder, at Rock Road and Doremus Avenue
• Thielke Arboretum, an almost 11-acre preserve with gardens, a spring-fed pond and a bird sanctuary along Diamond Brook
• Glen Rock Municipal Pool
• Wilde Memorial Fields on Maple Avenue, with ballfields, tennis, basketball, bocce, a walking path and natural woodlands
• Faber Field Complex on Doremus Avenue
• Hendrick Hopper House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
• Glen Rock Public Library
• Public schools: Glen Rock Public Schools, including Glen Rock High School

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Glen Rock with nearby towns? Read our guides to Ridgewood, Fair Lawn, Paramus and Hawthorne, 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 Glen Rock.

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.