Housing decision brief
Passaic County, NJ Housing Market
Passaic County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
13th lowest home value out of 21 New Jersey counties with data | 11th lowest rent out of 21
Median home value
$439,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,553/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$2,385/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
5.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
33.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$832/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Lower income base
$87,137 median income is 13% below New Jersey county median
Tax rate needs attention
2.28% effective property-tax rate is 3% above New Jersey county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Passaic County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $439,400 | $395,000 | $281,900 | 11% pressure11% above New Jersey county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,553 | $1,553 | $1,163 | Near state medianAt the New Jersey county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $2,385 | $2,006 | $1,672 | 19% pressure19% above New Jersey county median |
Median household income | $87,137 | $99,596 | $74,755 | 13% pressure13% below New Jersey county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 2.28% | 2.20% | 1.02% | Near state median3% above New Jersey county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 33.00% | 30.00% | N/A | 10% pressure33.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$25,017
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
-$15,077
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Passaic County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,553/month representing approximately 21.4% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 33.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Passaic County pay $1,553/month on average, compared to $2,385/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 35%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $62,120/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $102,214/year. With a median household income of $87,137, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 33.0% of renter households in Passaic County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within New Jersey, Passaic County is more affordable than Gloucester County by roughly 5% ($1,553/mo vs $1,480/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May County, NJ | $395,000 | $1,345/mo | Same-state comparison near $395,000 home value and $1,345/mo rent. |
| Ocean County, NJ | $366,600 | $1,702/mo | Same-state comparison near $366,600 home value and $1,702/mo rent. |
| Essex County, NJ | $494,400 | $1,459/mo | Same-state comparison near $494,400 home value and $1,459/mo rent. |
| Union County, NJ | $488,800 | $1,664/mo | Same-state comparison near $488,800 home value and $1,664/mo rent. |
| Hudson County, NJ | $508,600 | $1,811/mo | Same-state comparison near $508,600 home value and $1,811/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Passaic County
Is Passaic County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Passaic County?
How much income do you need for housing in Passaic County?
What should I double-check before moving to Passaic County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.