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City · 7,305 residents · Bergen County, New Jersey

Emerson , New Jersey

In Emerson, a typical home is worth $645,200 and typical rent is $1,887 a month. Compared with all of Bergen County, typical household income is 25% higher and the share of households that own their home is 26 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $645,200

    4% above the county

    42% above New Jersey

    • Emerson
    • Bergen
    • New Jersey

  • Typical rent

    $1,887a month

    About the same as the county

    10% above New Jersey

    • Emerson
    • Bergen
    • New Jersey

  • Typical household income

    $155,536a year

    25% above the county

    50% above New Jersey

    • Emerson
    • Bergen
    • New Jersey

  • Households that own their home

    92%

    26 points above the county

    28 points above New Jersey

    • Emerson
    • Bergen
    • New Jersey

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$783,961
6.8% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Emerson is in Bergen County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Bergen County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Emerson apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 92% of households in Emerson own their home, against 65% in Bergen County.

  2. Nearby, in Dumont, the typical home value is $497,400: 23% less than in Emerson ($645,200).

  3. The typical household income in Emerson is $155,536, 25% more than in Bergen County as a whole ($124,884).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Emerson

What homes there are in Emerson, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 91% of homes here, against 53% in Bergen County.

Year built

By age, homes in Emerson look like those in Bergen County: the typical year built is 1960.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$3,608 a month

Bergen County: $3,547 a month

Owners with a mortgage

59%

Bergen County: 62%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Emerson is $3,608 a month, near the figure in Bergen County ($3,547).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Much as in Bergen County, the typical home value in Emerson rose 31% since 2015–2019.

The typical rent in Emerson stayed about the same over that time: the difference is within the Census margin of error.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureEmersonBergen CountyNew JerseyUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.0%3.5%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.6%0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.7%4.0%3.4%
People per household 2.702.682.622.53
Drive alone 65%59%62%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate10%8%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home 20%19%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in Emerson look like those in Bergen County: 2.70 people on average.

To get to work, 65% of workers in Emerson drive alone; in Bergen County, 59%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Emerson?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Emerson, worth $645,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 44% of the typical household income in Emerson, which is $155,536 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $243,395 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Bergen County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Emerson. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $22,582 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$5,679

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$633,514
Total interest
$911,478
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $10,896 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $3,629 a month

  • Tight

    $3,629 to $4,666 a month

  • Hard

    more than $4,666 a month

    Your payment · 44%

Compared with the typical household income in Emerson ($155,536 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$5,679
Principal & interest$4,292
Property tax$833
Home insurance$269
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$285

You need at least $22,582 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Emerson and Bergen County

Emerson is in Bergen County, New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Emerson's own numbers

Typical home value
$645,200
Typical monthly rent
$1,887
Typical yearly household income
$155,536
Households that own their home
92%
Effective property tax rate
1.55%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Bergen County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,209,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,282
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+52%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
4%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Bergen County.

Everything about Bergen County

Buying

Buying a home in Emerson

A typical home in Emerson is worth $645,200: 4% above the county and 42% above New Jersey. With the typical household income in Emerson ($155,536 a year), a typical home costs 4.1 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Emerson 4.1 years
  • Bergen 5.0 years
  • New Jersey 4.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Bergen County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Bergen County rose 74% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Bergen County.

Period County New Jersey U.S.
Last year (2025) +6.8% +6.2% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +52% +63% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +74% +88% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Emerson next to Bergen County, New Jersey and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Emerson $645,200
  • Bergen $623,000
  • New Jersey $454,400
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Emerson $1,887
  • Bergen $1,914
  • New Jersey $1,720
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Emerson $155,536
  • Bergen $124,884
  • New Jersey $103,556
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Emerson next to Bergen County and New Jersey
Measure Emerson Bergen County New Jersey U.S.
Typical home value $645,200 $623,000 $454,400 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,887 $1,914 $1,720 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $155,536 $124,884 $103,556 $80,734
Households that own their home 92% 65% 64% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $10,001 $10,001 $9,590 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.55% 1.61% 2.11% 0.94%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Bergen County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Emerson

For a typical $645,200 home in Emerson, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Emerson's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $5,679a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $22,582
    Cash to close
    $41,938
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $285

  • Conventional, 5% down $5,561a month

    Down payment
    $32,260
    Cash to close
    $51,616
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $306

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $4,599a month

    Down payment
    $129,040
    Cash to close
    $148,396
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $5,195a month

    Down payment
    $96,780
    Cash to close
    $116,136
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Emerson and for Bergen County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Emerson

1.55%of the home’s value each year

$10,001 a year for the typical owner in Emerson.

  • Emerson 1.55%
  • Bergen 1.61%
  • New Jersey 2.11%

What New Jersey publishes ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ: one combined application (New Jersey Division of Taxation)

Exemptions and deadlines in New Jersey

Flood risk in Bergen County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Bergen County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
4%
10,177
Of those, with NFIP insurance
41%
County New Jersey U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 4% 6.7% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 41% 63% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Emerson

Typical rent in Emerson is $1,887 a month: about the same as the county.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Bergen County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,282 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $43.88 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Bergen County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,772 $34.08 $70,880
1 bedroom $1,987 $38.21 $79,480
2 bedrooms $2,282 $43.88 $91,280
3 bedrooms $2,771 $53.29 $110,840
4 bedrooms $3,497 $67.25 $139,880

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Emerson

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Emerson is in ZIP code 07630.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,500: $218 more than the fair market rent for Bergen County ($2,282).

  • 07630 $2,500$3,050

A ZIP code counts for Emerson when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Emerson

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Bergen County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A grandmother pushes her grandson on a playground swing.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Emerson

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Emerson or Bergen County. The ones below are statewide in New Jersey: they work in Emerson the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in New Jersey

Housing counselors near Emerson

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Emerson, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey

    131 Main St Ste 140, Hackensack · 7 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 2 more
    (201) 489-3552

  • County of Bergen, Department of Human Services, Division of Senior Services

    1 Bergen County Plz, Hackensack · 7 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Reverse mortgage counseling
    (201) 336-7400

  • Paterson Task Force for Community Action, Inc

    191 Market St, Paterson · 9 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    973-279-2333-135

Every agency in Bergen County All counseling agencies in New Jersey

Help in Spanish near Emerson

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Emerson

HUD’s record names them for Emerson or Bergen County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of Bergen County Section 8 vouchers (201) 336-7600

6 other authorities have an office in Bergen County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Bergen County

These cities are also in Bergen County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Bergen County Housing in New Jersey
See 38 more cities in Bergen County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Emerson, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Bergen County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Emerson.

All guides
Three generations of a family gather on the porch of their home.

Questions

Housing questions about Emerson

Short answers with the numbers for Emerson and all of Bergen County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Emerson?

The typical home value in Emerson is $645,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Bergen County it is $623,000.

How much does it cost to rent in Emerson?

Typical rent in Emerson is $1,887 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Bergen County is $2,282.

What is the FHA loan limit in Emerson?

Emerson uses the FHA limit for all of Bergen County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Emerson?

The typical homeowner in Emerson pays $10,001 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.55% of the home’s value; in Bergen County, the rate is 1.61%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Emerson?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Bergen County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).