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

Ridgewood is a village in northwest Bergen County with 25,979 residents as of the 2020 Census. It's one of only four New Jersey municipalities that use the village form of government, and it's known for a walkable downtown that ends at a 1916 train station listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Here's what to know before you buy, sell, rent or invest here.

Why People Choose Ridgewood

Ridgewood's downtown, locally called "Town," is centered on East Ridgewood Avenue. Restaurants, coffee shops, jewelers and boutiques sit close together along wide sidewalks, and Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, with its war memorial and gardens, anchors the business district.

The village is also changing. In 2016 the Village Council approved new zones that allow multifamily housing in the central business district. In 2021 Onyx Equities opened The Benjamin, a 60-unit apartment building at 1 Franklin Avenue near Chestnut Street. The Village's 2022 Master Plan, its first comprehensive master plan in 35 years, describes Ridgewood as largely built out and includes a downtown economic development element.

One update to note: The Valley Hospital moved from Ridgewood to its new campus in Paramus in April 2024. The former site on North Van Dien Avenue is now the Valley Health System Ridgewood Campus, an outpatient center.

Getting Around: Commuting from Ridgewood

• Train: Ridgewood station is served by NJ Transit's Main Line and Bergen County Line. Trains run to Hoboken and stop at Secaucus Junction, where you can transfer to New York Penn Station. Main Line trains also continue north toward Suffern and Port Jervis.
• Bus to New York: NJ Transit routes 148, 163 and 164 run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown. The 163 ends at Van Neste Square, about two blocks from the train station. Route 175 goes to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, and Short Line buses run along Route 17 into Manhattan.
• Local bus: Routes 722 and 746 connect to Paterson (the 722 by way of Paramus Park), and the 752 goes to Hackensack.
• Car: Route 17 runs along the village, and Franklin Turnpike, Maple Avenue (County Route 507) and East and West Ridgewood Avenue (County Route 84) are the main local roads.

Neighborhoods and Housing Types

Ridgewood covers about 5.8 square miles. Named sections include Upper Ridgewood, The Heights, Brookside, Floral Park, Salem Ridge, The Lawns, The View, The Old Country Club and Scrabbletown, which borders the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. Boundaries are informal, so we confirm where a property sits.

Most of the village is residential, with single-family homes in a wide range of styles and ages, plus condos and townhomes. In and around the business district, the downtown zoning adopted in 2016 has added newer apartment buildings within walking distance of the train. Ridgewood also has several historic houses listed on the National Register, including the Westervelt–Cameron House, which dates to about 1767.

Buying a Home in Ridgewood

A few things we help Ridgewood buyers check:

• Older-home inspections: For older homes, inspect the roof, electrical, plumbing, heating, foundation and any oil tank history, and confirm past renovations were permitted.
• Flood risk: The Saddle River and the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook run through the village and meet in Ridgewood. The USGS has published flood inundation maps for this stretch of the Saddle River, and the village has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study flooding along both waterways. We check FEMA flood maps and insurance requirements before you make an offer.
• Condo and townhome associations: Review monthly fees, reserves, rules and any planned special assessments.
• Property taxes: We pull the current tax figure for every home you're considering.
• FHA and multi-unit options: If you find a two-to-four family property, an FHA loan lets you buy it with a low down payment as long as you live in one unit.

Getting pre-approved first will help you compete. We can connect you with a lender before you start touring.

Selling Your Ridgewood Home

Walking distance to the station and downtown is worth highlighting when you sell. Pricing depends on the specific property, since a home near Town, a house in an outlying section and a downtown condo each compete against different sales. We'll prepare a free comparative market analysis using recent sales of homes like yours. We'll also help with pre-listing prep and disclosures, including flood history where it applies, and market your home on the MLS and every major online channel.

Renting and Investing in Ridgewood

Ridgewood's rental options include the newer downtown apartment buildings, apartments in smaller buildings, condos and single-family homes for rent. We help renters find a unit that fits their commute and budget. For investors and landlords, we look at realistic rents, taxes, insurance, flood exposure and condition before you buy, and we help price, market and screen tenants for rentals you already own.

Local Landmarks and Amenities

• Ridgewood station (1916), listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places
• Downtown Ridgewood along East Ridgewood Avenue and Memorial Park at Van Neste Square
• Graydon Park and Graydon Pool, a sand-bottomed, spring-fed swimming "plake" built in 1926 and enlarged by the WPA in 1936
• Veterans Field and the Frank Kasschau Memorial Shell, which hosts outdoor concerts
• Citizens Park, with ball fields and a sledding hill
• Wild Duck Pond area of Saddle River County Park, the north end of a roughly 6-mile multi-use path to Rochelle Park
• Ridgewood Public Library on North Maple Avenue
• Valley Health System Ridgewood Campus (outpatient services) on North Van Dien Avenue
• Public schools: Ridgewood Public Schools, including Ridgewood High School

Nearby Town Guides

Comparing Ridgewood with nearby towns? Read our guides to Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Paramus and Midland Park, 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 Ridgewood.

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.