Is Waldwick, NJ A Good Place To Live?

As a native New Jerseyan, I definitely understand the charm of the Garden State. I love the pungence of the state, not to mention all the wonderful foodie-friendly places that you can find within a driving distance. Waldwick is one of those towns that people often overlook, especially in city-heavy Bergen County. However, this is a shame. It’s an amazing place to live. Here’s why.

Waldwick has excellent schools, close proximity to New York City, safe neighborhoods, and elegant homes available for sale. Nearby proximity to nightlife also makes it a good place for partiers. However, the price of homes in Waldwick is sky high and you will need a big paycheck to afford this area.

If you want to move to Bergen County, location is everything. Isn’t it time to talk about the quaint little town known as Waldwick?

Bergen County, in general, is famous for having great schools. Waldwick is one of those few districts that involves a school district that goes above and beyond the norm. Excellent school curricula is the norm. Not sure that you want to go for a public school? A wide range of different public, private, and charter schools service the area.

Several schools in and around Waldwick have received national recognition for their performance. No matter how you look at it, this is one of the best ways to make sure your kids have a great future.

Admittedly, most out-of-staters don’t view New Jersey as a safe state. If they took a look at Waldwick, they would change their minds fast. The violent crime rate is one of the lowest in the nation, with no rapes, murders, or robberies being reported in the last year. When adjusted, the assault rate is 19.5 assault cases per 100,000 residents. So….that’s like, two assaults per year.

Property crime is also fairly low, with only a handful of thefts (48 per 100,000 residents) being reported every year. So, don’t worry. Your stuff won’t get stolen here.

As you can tell, Waldwick is definitely focused on a family-friendly lifestyle. Parents move here when they want to have kids that are raised in a warm, welcoming, and safe environment. This is why most people choose to go here. However, that doesn’t mean that Waldwick is a boring place for adults.

The nightlife here is fairly excellent, especially since you’re a little drive away from one of the biggest nightlife cities in the world. Within a quick 10-mile drive, you can find upscale hookah lounges, dance clubs, elegant wine bars, not to mention some of the most upscale restaurants in the state. Date night’s going to be a nice deal here!

Make no mistake about it. Rich neighborhoods tend to have a tendency of being exclusionary, unfriendly, or downright snooty. It’s a fact of life. However, Waldwick is fairly different from your typical upscale neighborhood. People who live here regularly comment on forums about how shockingly friendly and helpful their neighbors have.

Because Waldwick is so close to New York City, people are very amenable to NYC-style eccentric creatives here. As long as you have a little class, you will be bound to fit in reasonably well and find your tribe in the area.

One of the things that remains true about New Jersey real estate is that there’s really no such thing as a bargain. Warwick is no exception to the rule. The average home price in this well-to-do neighborhood stands at over $450,000.

Even when you look at the median, you’re still looking at a home price of $448,900. This means that you are going to have to shell out a serious pretty penny in order to afford this town. This doesn’t take real estate taxes into account, either.

Things might be easier if you were able to work with lower utility and food prices, but this is not the case in Waldwick. Waldwick has a higher cost of living across the board—food, utilities, entertainment, medical care, and even regular retail will cost more.

More specifically, the cost of living index for Walwick rests at a shocking 138.2. This means that a Waldwick resident will typically pay $138.20 for every $100 that a typical American would spend on necessities. This is even high for New Jersey’s average cost of living index, which rests at an unenviable 120.

The median household income for a family here is $124,803. This means you will most likely have to have two high-earning incomes to make things work here.

If we were bluntly honest, it’s really hard to find any serious faults with Waldwick. It’s just that good a town to live in. However, it’s important to make sure that you are aware of the type of people who tend to move here.

The majority of people who tend to get homes here are deep city transplants from New York or Los Angeles, who want a quieter pace of life. If this sounds like you, then you probably need to be aware that you might have a little bit of a culture shock.

Going from an apartment where you hear sirens at all hours of the night to a house in a quiet neighborhood is pretty jarring. It’s normal for people to feel like it’s “too quiet” to fall asleep, at least when they first move in. Don’t worry, you’ll readjust soon enough.

Related Questions

Is Bergen County a good place to move to?

For most people, the answer is absolutely yes. Moving to Bergen County is often likened to moving to another extra borough of New York City. While the county does have a fair share of skyscrapers like the Big Apple, it’s far more suburban. Though there are fairly large swaths of suburbs that you can choose to move to, this doesn’t take away from the deeply New Yorker ambiance. The amenities that you find in Bergen County are almost identical to what you would get in New York City. Moreover, it’s just as diverse as the Big Apple. 

Does Waldwick have a racism problem?

It’s common for people to assume that areas with high levels of wealth have a racism problem, but this is not a concern if you live in Waldwick. While there may be a handful of people who may hold racist beliefs, this is not a community that has serious issues with racism. Most people who live in this area note that Bergen County boasts highly diverse populations. Knowing that, the vast majority of people in Waldwick do not hold racist beliefs and actively rally against racism in the community. It’s unified like that. 

Is Waldwick’s real estate in a bubble?

Though many people have warned about a real estate bubble in recent years, the truth is that Waldwick is not the kind of area that would suffer from runaway real estate valuation bubble. The properties here are highly sought-after, and rightfully so. There are not many areas near a major metro like New York City that offer upscale living in a rural environment. There are even fewer that have such an admirable police force and a nice neighborhood. It’s a great place to live, no matter how you look at it.