Is Cliffside Park, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Cliffside Park is a small city of 25,546 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $96,734 and a 3.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Cliffside Park stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Cliffside Park is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Cliffside Park city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Cliffside Park's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cliffside Park costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Cliffside Park, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $520,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,743 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 48.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $96,734 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeCliffside Park's violent crime rate is 126.4 per 100,000 residents — 67% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Cliffside Park is served primarily by Cliffside Park School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Cliffside Park, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Cliffside Park School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 44.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 87.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Cliffside Park sees average highs of 39.5°F in January and 84.9°F in July, with 50.2 inches of annual precipitation and 29.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Cliffside Park, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.5°F |
| Average High — July | 84.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Cliffside Park, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,546 | — |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 37.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 57.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 22.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 13.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Cliffside Park
Cliffside Park, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: