The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty
Scott Selleck · Broker Sales Associate · Request an appointment at meet.sellecksellsnj.com
North Bergen and West New York Buyer Insight
Serving Bergen and Hudson Counties · SRES®, e-PRO® · Licensed since 1993. Over 500 transactions closed.
On a $180,000 household income, both renting and buying are realistic in North Bergen and West New York. The deciding numbers are the down payment you can put together, the price you are shopping at, and the property tax that comes with the mortgage.
I ran those numbers with the latest NJMLS 30-day sales and listing counts, the newest Zillow rent index and the 2025 New Jersey tax rates. Here is how the math lays out on the Hudson County side of a Hudson Yards commute.
The North Hudson Numbers
Source: NJMLS data pulled by Scott Selleck, sold September 13 to October 13, 2026, active as of October 13, 2026.
NJMLS, sold September 13 to October 13, 2026, active as of October 13, 2026 | Sold | Active as of October 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
West New York condo | 3 | 53 |
North Bergen condo | 7 | 30 |
North Bergen single-family | 3 | 19 |
West New York single-family | 2 | 2 |
Every town and type here had fewer than 10 sales in the 30 days. The sample is too small for a reliable median, so this post quotes no median price, days on market, sale-to-list figure or months of supply for these towns, and runs the payment math on example prices instead.
Key Takeaways
- West New York had 53 condos active as of October 13, 2026, and North Bergen had 30, against 3 and 7 condo sales from September 13 to October 13, per NJMLS data pulled by Scott Selleck. Buyers have choices and time.
- Example only, not a quote: a $400,000 condo with 20% down at 7.40% carries principal and interest of about $2,216 a month.
- Zillow's Observed Rent Index for August 2026 puts typical rent at $2,531 in West New York and $2,856 in North Bergen Township.
- Property tax is the line renters forget. New Jersey's 2025 effective tax rates are 1.771% in West New York and 1.661% in North Bergen. The effective rate compares towns; your bill comes from the assessed value times the general rate.
- Commute choice is a housing choice. Buses, the ferry at Port Imperial in Weehawken and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail each serve different blocks, so test the trip from the exact address.
Start With the Budget, Not the Listing
A $180,000 gross household income is $15,000 a month before taxes. If you set your own housing ceiling at 28% of gross income, that is $4,200 a month for the mortgage, property tax, association fee and insurance combined. Your lender will run its own ratios with your actual debts, so treat this as a planning number, not an approval.
The bigger constraint is usually cash. Twenty percent down on a $400,000 condo is $80,000, before closing costs. A smaller down payment is possible with many loan programs, and it raises the monthly payment and can add mortgage insurance. Our post on North Bergen homes under $600K walks through what that price range looks like on the ground.
What Rent Costs Here Now
Zillow's Observed Rent Index for August 2026 shows typical rent of $2,531 in West New York, up 2.2% from a year earlier, and $2,856 in North Bergen Township, up 3.8%. Those are town-wide figures across unit sizes, so a two-bedroom near the river will run higher and a studio on a side street lower.
Rent buys flexibility. You can test the commute for a year, learn which blocks you like, and keep your down payment liquid. It does not build equity, and the rent can rise at renewal. The rent or buy comparison for West New York and Cliffside Park covers the same question one town north along the river.
What Buying Costs at Example Prices
Recent sales in these towns were too few for a reliable median, so the table uses round example prices. Payments assume 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan at 7.40% (Freddie Mac's weekly survey, October 8, 2026), and tax estimated from the 2025 effective rate.
Example prices, not medians | West New York condo | North Bergen condo | North Bergen single-family |
|---|---|---|---|
Example price | $400,000 | $400,000 | $600,000 |
20% down payment | $80,000 | $80,000 | $120,000 |
Principal and interest at 7.40% | $2,216 | $2,216 | $3,324 |
Property tax estimate per month | $590 | $554 | $831 |
Subtotal before association fee and insurance | $2,806 | $2,770 | $4,155 |
Typical rent in town (Zillow, August 2026) | $2,531 | $2,856 | $2,856 |
Table note: Example only, not a quote or prediction. Tax estimates use the 2025 effective tax rate, which the NJ Division of Taxation publishes for comparing towns; an actual bill is the assessed value times the general rate. Condo association fees and insurance vary by building and are not included.
Read across the condo columns. At a $400,000 example price, principal, interest and tax come to about $2,770 a month in North Bergen, against a typical town rent of $2,856, so an association fee puts the two close together. In West New York the same price runs about $2,806, above the typical town rent of $2,531, before the association fee.
Where Buyers Have Room to Negotiate
West New York had 53 condos active as of October 13, 2026, against 3 condo sales from September 13 to October 13, per NJMLS data pulled by Scott Selleck. The sample is too small for a reliable median, but a long active list means buyers can compare several units in the same price band and ask for credits or a price adjustment on the ones that have sat. Our post on what buyers ask before they commit in West New York covers the building questions that come with that choice.
Countywide, the NJ REALTORS® Local Market Update for Hudson County, September 2026, shows townhouse and condo inventory of 1,328, up 42.8% from September 2025, with 6.1 months of supply, against 4.6 months for single-family homes. Those are Hudson County figures, not town figures, and they point the same way as the NJMLS counts above: condo buyers have more choice than single-family buyers.
How the Commute Shapes the Search
A Hudson Yards commute from North Hudson usually runs one of three ways: an NJ Transit bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the subway or a walk from there, a ferry from Port Imperial in Weehawken to Midtown, or the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, which has a Tonnelle Avenue station in North Bergen. Each one favors different blocks. A condo on Boulevard East and a two-family near Kennedy Boulevard can have very different door-to-desk times.
Check the NJ Transit and NY Waterway schedules from the exact address at the hour you would leave, and ride it once before you commit. The North Bergen community guide and West New York community guide map the town layouts in more detail.
Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Building
- What is the monthly association fee, and what does it cover? Heat, water and parking are included in some buildings and billed separately in others.
- Is a special assessment pending or under discussion? Ask for recent board minutes and the current budget.
- Is parking deeded, assigned or on a waitlist? In North Hudson, parking can be as important to value as the view.
- How many units are rented? Ask, because the answer goes into the lender's review of the building. Warrantability has not been verified for any building in this guide. Financing eligibility depends on the association's current reserves, litigation, occupancy and insurance status, and only your lender can tell you which loan a specific building qualifies for.
- What are the rental and pet rules? If you might rent the unit out later, confirm that the building allows it.
Your real estate attorney reviews the association documents during the attorney review period. Ask for them early.
I have worked this corridor since I was licensed in 1993, and my verified career record shows over 500 transactions closed. My story explains how I came to this work.
The Three Pillars Behind Every Good Decision
Every real estate decision sits where timing, lifestyle, and finances meet. Start with the first and work through all three.
Timing and Strategy
Condo supply is high in West New York and across Hudson County. That gives buyers time to compare, so build your search around the units that have been listed longest as well as the newest ones.
Lifestyle and Location Fit
Ride the commute from the actual block before you sign a lease or a contract.
Financing and Cash-Flow
Get preapproved, then price the full monthly cost: mortgage, tax, association fee and insurance. Compare that number with the rent you would actually pay for the same size unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is $180,000 a year enough to buy a condo in West New York or North Bergen?
Often, yes. The bigger question is the down payment. On a $400,000 example condo, 20% down is $80,000, plus closing costs. Your lender sets the final number. Example only, not a quote or prediction.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in North Bergen?
At a $400,000 example price, the two are close. Principal, interest and tax come to about $2,770 a month at 7.40% with 20% down, against typical town rent of $2,856 (Zillow, August 2026). Association fees and insurance change the comparison, so run it for the specific unit. Example only, not a quote or prediction.
How much are property taxes in North Bergen and West New York?
New Jersey's 2025 effective tax rates are 1.661% in North Bergen and 1.771% in West New York. Those rates compare towns. Your bill is the assessed value times the general tax rate, so ask the seller for the current bill on any home you are considering.
Is West New York a buyer's market for condos?
The latest 30 days are too thin to say. West New York had 53 condos active as of October 13, 2026, against 3 sales from September 13 to October 13, per NJMLS data pulled by Scott Selleck. The sample is too small for a reliable median. A long active list gives buyers choices, but each unit's price history matters more.
How do I commute from North Bergen or West New York to Hudson Yards?
Common routes are NJ Transit buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the ferry from Port Imperial in Weehawken, and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail from Tonnelle Avenue. Times vary by block and hour, so check the schedules from the exact address.
Want to see which side of the rent-or-buy line a specific North Bergen or West New York unit falls on? Search current listings, take the Seven-Question Assessment (7 questions, about 90 seconds), or Request an appointment and we will run the actual numbers together.
For more on each town, see the Community Guides and the full library at SelleckSellsNJ.com.
Have a quick question first? Ask my AI assistant on Delphi. It is an AI trained on my material, not a person.
Scott Selleck
Broker Sales Associate | The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty
Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) | e-PRO® | Licensed since 1993. Over 500 transactions closed.
NJ Real Estate Broker Sales Associate License #9236275.
2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Cell: (201) 970-3960 | Office: (201) 592-8900
Email: [email protected]
Website: SelleckSellsNJ.com
Request an appointment: meet.sellecksellsnj.com
AI assistant: https://www.delphi.co/scottselleck
My story: coverstory.sellecksellsnj.com | Verified career record: record.sellecksellsnj.com
NJ Real Estate Broker Sales Associate License #9236275. Licensure does not imply endorsement. Keller Williams City Views Realty. Each office is independently owned and operated. Broker compensation in New Jersey is fully negotiable and is not set by law or by any board or association of REALTORS®. This article is general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your own costs with your real estate attorney, tax advisor, or lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Market figures: NJMLS data pulled by Scott Selleck, sold September 13 to October 13, 2026, active as of October 13, 2026. Zillow figures are labeled as extra color. Payment examples are not a quote or prediction.
Top 5 Sources
- NJMLS data pulled by Scott Selleck, sold September 13 to October 13, 2026, active as of October 13, 2026. Scott Selleck NJMLS Matrix pull, by town, condo and single-family, read October 13, 2026. Not publicly available.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), August 2026, West New York and North Bergen Township, read October 13, 2026. Zillow Research data
- NJ Division of Taxation, 2025 General and Effective Tax Rates (North Bergen 1.661, West New York 1.771 effective). 2025 tax rates (PDF)
- NJ REALTORS® Local Market Update, Hudson County, September 2026 (current as of October 9, 2026; data from NJ multiple listing services). Hudson County report (PDF)
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed 7.40%, October 8, 2026. freddiemac.com/pmms
Three pillars. One calm process.
Every client conversation begins with timing, lifestyle fit, and cash-flow, so the decision becomes a clear plan instead of a guess.
Compare towns before the next move.
Use the Community Guides to weigh Bergen and Hudson County towns before you commit.
Equal Housing Opportunity | The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty
