The Town FilesUpper Montclair, New Jersey
Community in Essex County · population 13,146 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $989,000
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 28 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 42.2
Upper Montclair is a community of 13,146 people in Essex County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $989,000, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks more upscale than 100% of New Jersey towns, better transit than 99% of New Jersey towns, more of a college town than 96% of New Jersey towns.
How Upper Montclair 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Upper Montclair is worth $989,000, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 43% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $2,237 a month. 85.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Upper Montclair | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $989,000 | $435,600 |
| Median rent | $2,237 | $1,774 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $111,891 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 85.8% | 80.8% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1969 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in Upper Montclair
| People | Upper Montclair | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.7% | 18.3% |
| Under 18 | 28.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 84.7% | 44.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.9% | 5.7% |
| Veterans | 0.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.6% | — |
| Work from home | 43.2% | 16.3% |
| Average commute | 42.2 min | 30.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.9% | 94.6% |
Weather in Upper Montclair
July highs average 85.6°F and January lows 21.4°F. About 48.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.2 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 118 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Upper Montclair since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 7, 1962 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 6, 2020.
Severe weather in Essex County since 1996
Essex County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| September 2, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| December 11, 2020 | Hurricane | DR-4574: Tropical Storm Isaias |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3451: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Essex County
Essex County had 349,076 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $88,369 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in 2023; in Upper Montclair itself the ACS puts it at 5%.
Public schools in Upper Montclair
3 public schools with 1,356 students, about 10.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buzz Aldrin Middle School | 6-8 | 607 | 10.1 |
| Bradford Elementary School | PK-5 | 375 | 9.9 |
| Northeast Elementary School | K-5 | 374 | 11.7 |
Towns near Upper Montclair
- Brookdale, NJ1.3 mi · 9,854 people · home $573,500
- Montclair, NJ1.3 mi · 40,921 people · home $906,400
- Cedar Grove, NJ1.8 mi · 12,980 people · home $634,000
- Great Notch, NJ2.0 mi · 3,289 people · home $580,400
- Verona, NJ2.3 mi · 14,572 people · home $608,400
- Bloomfield, NJ2.4 mi · 53,105 people · home $470,800
- Little Falls, NJ2.4 mi · 13,360 people · home $481,300
- Clifton, NJ2.5 mi · 90,296 people · home $461,900
Upper Montclair questions
Is Upper Montclair, New Jersey a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Upper Montclair scores better for retirees than 55% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 13%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.2).
How much does a house cost in Upper Montclair?
The median owner-occupied home in Upper Montclair is valued at $989,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $2,237 a month.
What is the weather like in Upper Montclair?
July highs average 85.6°F and January lows 21.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.6 inches of precipitation a year and 28.2 inches of snow.
Does Upper Montclair get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Upper Montclair since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 7, 1962. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)