The Town Files

Ridgewood, New Jersey

Village in Bergen County · population 25,979 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ridgewood is in New JerseyRidgewood
Median home
$891,200
Household income
$208,211
Jan low / Jul high
26° / 87°
Snow a year
30 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
41.6

Ridgewood is a village of 25,979 people in Bergen County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $891,200, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks more upscale than 98% of New Jersey towns, better transit than 95% of New Jersey towns, more of a college town than 93% of New Jersey towns.

How Ridgewood ranks

Percentile among New Jersey towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Jersey towns.

Ridgewood lifestyle rankings vs other New Jersey townsRetirement43rd pctFamilies84th pctQuiet16th pctWalkability84th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals83rd pctVibrancy62nd pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town93rd pctUpscale98th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling78th pctTransit95th pctDriving4th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Ridgewood is worth $891,200, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $208,211, which is more affordable than 32% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $2,499 a month. 82.5% of households own their home.

Ridgewood vs Bergen County vs typical New Jersey townRidgewoodBergen CountyTypical New Jersey townHome value$891,200$623,000$435,600Household income$208,211$124,884$111,891Monthly rent$2,499$1,914$1,774
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Jersey towns with 500+ people.
HousingRidgewoodTypical New Jersey town
Median home value$891,200$435,600
Median rent$2,499$1,774
Median household income$208,211$111,891
Home value ÷ income4.3×3.8×
Homeownership82.5%80.8%
Median year built19501969
Seasonal / vacation homes0.2%—

Who lives in Ridgewood

PeopleRidgewoodTypical New Jersey town
Median age41.642.7
Age 65 and over13.9%18.3%
Under 1827.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher80.1%44.1%
Below the poverty line4.2%5.7%
Veterans3.5%—
Born outside the U.S.22.3%—
Work from home32.1%16.3%
Average commute34.6 min30.4 min
Homes with broadband97.0%94.6%

Weather in Ridgewood

July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 25.7°F. About 46.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 30.3 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 29 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 89 nights at or below freezing.

Ridgewood monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing40°26°Jan43°27°Feb51°34°Mar63°44°Apr73°53°May82°63°Jun87°69°Jul85°67°Aug78°60°Sep67°48°Oct56°38°Nov45°31°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.38.72.89.94.15.24.00.63.94.34.54.34.13.70.13.30.44.15.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Teterboro Ap station (9.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ridgewood since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 7, 1962 about 4.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 7, 2013.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ridgewood by decade11950s11960s11970s21980s11990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 55 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 8, 2021.

Severe weather in Bergen County since 1996

Storm events in Bergen County since 1996 by typeHail80Flood107High Wind20Lightning52Heavy Rain23Heavy Snow37Flash Flood269Strong Wind26
NOAA Storm Events Database, Bergen County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 13 deaths recorded.

Bergen County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 5, 2021HurricaneDR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
September 2, 2021HurricaneEM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
December 11, 2020HurricaneDR-4574: Tropical Storm Isaias
March 25, 2020BiologicalDR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3451: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Bergen County

Bergen County had 438,240 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $80,639 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Ridgewood itself the ACS puts it at 3.4%.

Largest industries in Bergen CountyHealth care & social assistan…83,475 jobs · $77,918Retail47,692 jobs · $49,338Hotels & restaurants34,627 jobs · $32,314Wholesale trade32,172 jobs · $104,236Manufacturing29,611 jobs · $91,799Professional & technical serv…28,731 jobs · $125,478
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Bergen County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Bergen 3.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Ridgewood

10 public schools with 5,487 students, about 12.4 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Ridgewood High School9-121,74012.7
George Washington Middle School6-865311.7
Benjamin Franklin Middle School6-863511.3
Willard Elementary SchoolK-547013.4
Ridge Elementary SchoolK-544413.5
Somerville Elementary SchoolK-538513.3
Hawes Elementary SchoolK-537312.4
Orchard Elementary SchoolK-535212.1
Travell Elementary SchoolK-532312.9
Glen SchoolPK-PK1129.3

Towns near Ridgewood

Ridgewood questions

Is Ridgewood, New Jersey a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ridgewood scores better for retirees than 43% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 16%. 13.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.6).

How much does a house cost in Ridgewood?

The median owner-occupied home in Ridgewood is valued at $891,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $208,211, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $2,499 a month.

What is the weather like in Ridgewood?

July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 25.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.3 inches of precipitation a year and 30.3 inches of snow.

Does Ridgewood get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ridgewood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 7, 1962. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ridgewood's Census boundary (GEOID 3463000). Comparisons use the median of New Jersey towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.