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

Montclair is an Essex County township of about 41,000 residents as of the 2020 Census. It stands out for six NJ Transit train stations inside one town, several walkable business districts, a large stock of homes built before 1940, and a rent control ordinance that matters to anyone buying a multi-family property. Here's what to know before you buy, sell, rent or invest in Montclair.

Why People Choose Montclair

Rail access is the headline. Six Montclair-Boonton Line stations put a train within reach of much of the township.

Montclair also has more than one downtown. Montclair Center along Bloomfield Avenue, Upper Montclair, Watchung Plaza and the Walnut Street area each have their own shops, restaurants and services, and three of them are protected as local historic districts. Museums, a university next door and two large Essex County reservations round it out.

Getting Around: Commuting from Montclair

• Train: The Montclair-Boonton Line stops at Bay Street, Walnut Street, Watchung Avenue, Upper Montclair, Mountain Avenue and Montclair Heights, all within the township. Trains run to New York Penn Station via Midtown Direct and to Hoboken Terminal; service differs by station.
• Bus: NJ Transit bus service in Montclair includes Route 191 trips to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The township also points commuters to Boxcar's Essex Express, a private business-class commuter bus. Confirm current schedules before relying on a bus commute.
• Car: Bloomfield Avenue (County Route 506) is the main road through town and links the Montclair Center business district with neighboring towns.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

The township's Historic Preservation Commission oversees four local historic districts: Town Center, Upper Montclair, Pine Street and Watchung Plaza. It also counts six National and State Register districts and 64 designated local landmarks.

According to the township's Housing Element:

• Single-family homes: Detached houses make up about half of all units, with a smaller number of attached single-family homes.
• Two-to-four family homes: About 12 percent of units are in two-family buildings and another 8.5 percent are in three- and four-unit buildings.
• Apartment buildings: Roughly a quarter of units are in buildings of five or more units.
• Age: Almost 60 percent of Montclair's housing was built before 1940.

New housing is coming through redevelopment. The township's plan for Lackawanna Plaza, an eight-acre site, anticipates about 300 new units, and the Walnut Street and Greenwood Avenue area is identified as a potential redevelopment site.

Buying a Home in Montclair

Montclair gives buyers a real choice of property types: an older single-family, a two-family, a three- or four-unit house, or a condo or co-op unit. If you're using an FHA loan, you can buy a two-to-four family home with a low down payment as long as you live in one of the units, and the rent from the other units can help cover the mortgage.

Before you make an offer, we help you check:

• Older-home inspections: With so many homes built before 1940, look closely at the roof, heating system, electrical service, plumbing, foundation and any older oil tank.
• Historic district rules: If a home is in a local historic district or is a designated landmark, changes to its appearance may require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Rent control status: If you're buying a multi-family, find out whether the units fall under the township's rent regulation and what the current registered rents are.
• Condo and co-op documents: Fees, reserves, rules, assessments and co-op board approval.
• Flood maps: We check FEMA flood maps and insurance needs for every property.
• Property taxes: We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering, so your budget reflects the real carrying cost.

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

Selling Your Montclair Home

A historic single-family near Upper Montclair, a two-family close to a station and a condo near Montclair Center each compete in a different pool. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis based on recent sales of homes like yours, then market your home across the MLS and every major online channel. For a multi-family, have leases and rent registration records ready, because buyers will ask.

Renting and Investing in Montclair

About 40 percent of Montclair's occupied homes are rentals, spread across apartment buildings and two-to-four family houses. We help renters find a unit that fits their budget and commute, and we help landlords price, market and screen.

Investors need to understand rent control here. The township's rent regulation ordinance, Chapter 257, has been in effect since 2022. According to the township, it covers rental units in two- and three-unit buildings where the owner does not live there, and all units in buildings of four or more units. Owner-occupied buildings with three or fewer units are exempt, as are single-family homes and individual condo and co-op units. Covered landlords must register with the Rent Control Office every year. We'll help you confirm a property's status before you buy.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Montclair Art Museum at 3 South Mountain Avenue
• Montclair History Center at 108 Orange Road, with historic house museums and a research library
• Montclair Public Library at 50 South Fullerton Avenue, plus the Bellevue Avenue Branch in Upper Montclair
• Anderson Park, an Essex County park in Upper Montclair with a jogging path and athletic fields, and home to the annual Art in the Park craft show
• Glenfield Park, an Essex County park on Bloomfield Avenue with ball fields, courts and a community center
• Mills Reservation, about 157 acres of trails shared with Cedar Grove, with an overlook facing the New York skyline
• Eagle Rock Reservation, about 408 acres along the Watchung ridge, home to the Essex County September 11 Memorial
• The Mountain Avenue train station, built in 1893
• Montclair State University, a large public university next to the township
• Public schools: Montclair Public Schools, including Montclair High School

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Montclair with nearby towns? Read our guides to Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Verona and Cedar Grove, 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 Montclair.

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.