Old Tappan, NJ Real Estate Guide: Buy, Sell & Rent

Old Tappan is a borough in the northeast corner of Bergen County, sitting right on the New York state line, with 5,888 residents as of the 2020 Census. Just over a third of its land is reservoir and watershed around Lake Tappan, so the town packs mostly single-family homes and townhouse communities into a small footprint, with a compact commercial center along Old Tappan Road. If you're thinking about buying, selling or renting here, this is what you should know.

Why People Choose Old Tappan

Old Tappan feels more open than its size suggests. According to the borough's 2026 Housing Element, the water company owns just over one-third of the borough, including Lake Tappan and the land around it, and that land is set aside from development. The result is a town where wooded watershed and reservoir views are part of daily life, and where a lot of homes back onto open land.

The town also has deep roots. The land was part of the Tappan patent granted in 1687, and for decades the area was governed from Orangetown in what was then Orange County, New York, until a 1769 boundary settlement placed it in New Jersey. Old Tappan incorporated as a borough on October 18, 1894. The borough's Historical Committee publishes resources on the town's historic homes.

Getting Around: Commuting from Old Tappan

• Roads: No major highway runs through the borough. You get around on county and local roads, mainly Old Tappan Road, Washington Avenue, Westwood Avenue and Orangeburgh Road.
• Palisades Interstate Parkway: The borough's own directions use Exit 6W (Orangeburg Road, Pearl River) and then Blaisdell Road to the state line.

If you'll ride a train or bus to work, we'll map out your options from the specific home before you make an offer.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

The borough describes itself as mostly built out and made up mainly of single-family homes. Its Housing Element breaks down the housing like this:

• Detached single-family homes: About 71% of all housing units, built across several eras. The 1960s were one big building period, and roughly 39% of the town's homes went up between 1990 and 2009.
• Townhouses: Attached homes now make up about 23% of the housing stock, almost twice the share in 2010. The borough's housing plan names several developments built in recent decades, including Winding Creek, Villages at Wood's Edge, Foxwood Estates and Dorotockey's Run.
• Apartments: Buildings with five or more units are still a small part of the market, at about 4%.
• New construction at 200 Old Tappan Road: As of the borough's January 2026 Housing Element, a mixed-use project with 229 multifamily units on the Pearson site was approved and under construction.
• Town Center Overlay: In 2026 the borough adopted Town Center Overlay zoning covering about 34.5 acres along Old Tappan Road, including the Bi-State Plaza shopping center site and the office frontage near DeWolf Road. It allows mixed-use and residential development up to three stories.

Buying a Home in Old Tappan

Most buyers here are choosing between a detached single-family home and a townhouse. Each one comes with its own checklist, and we help you work through it:

• Homeowners association review: Townhouse communities have their own HOA fees, reserves and rules. We review the budget, any special assessments and the rules on rentals and exterior changes before you commit.
• Inspections by era: A 1960s home and a 2000s home call for different inspections. We'll help you focus on roof age, heating and cooling systems, drainage and any past renovations.
• Environmental constraints: The borough's plan lists wetlands, steep slopes and flood plains among the limits on land use. For any property near a stream or the reservoir lands, we check flood maps and insurance requirements early.
• Property taxes: Taxes are a big part of any New Jersey budget. We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering.
• Affordable housing units: Several developments in town, including rental units at Park and Arbor, include deed-restricted affordable units. Those units have their own income rules and resale rules, and the borough's administrator handles the applications.

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

Selling Your Old Tappan Home

There isn't a lot of housing in Old Tappan, and with so much of the land protected watershed, few new single-family lots come up. That makes good pricing and presentation especially important. A detached colonial, a 1990s-era home and a townhouse in a planned community all compete against different sets of recent sales. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis based on homes like yours, then market your property through the MLS and every major online channel.

Renting and Investing in Old Tappan

The borough's numbers show a small rental market: about 10% of occupied units are rented. As the 200 Old Tappan Road project and any Town Center Overlay development come online, the rental supply may grow. We help renters find units that fit their budget and commute. For investors and landlords, we look at realistic rents, HOA rental rules, taxes and condition so the numbers work before you buy.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Lake Tappan and its watershed lands along the western side of town
• Washington Woods, borough open space on Washington Avenue overlooking Lake Tappan
• Bonnabel Park on Old Tappan Road and Oakes Park on Central Avenue
• Old Tappan Golf Course on DeWolf Road
• Old Tappan Free Public Library on Russell Avenue
• Bi-State Plaza shopping center
• Public schools: Old Tappan School District (T. Baldwin Demarest Elementary School and Charles DeWolf Middle School); high school students attend Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in the Northern Valley Regional High School District

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Old Tappan with nearby towns? Read our guides to Harrington Park, River Vale, Northvale and Norwood, 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 Old Tappan.

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.