Town vs town
Closter vs Haworth
Two Northern Valley towns, side by side: what homes cost, what the taxes run, how the schools test, how long the commute takes, and who runs each place.
At a glance
- Taxes: Closter is lower by about $1,688 a year on the average home ($19,574 vs $21,262).
- Schools: the same high school — Northern Valley Regional HS at Demarest.
- Incomes: Haworth is higher — $236,765 against $190,469 (Census ACS).
Closter
The town the other seven drive to
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Haworth
Reservoir on one side, two golf courses, one-lane bridge
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| Closter | Haworth | |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | Borough | Borough |
| Population | 8,730 (2024 est.) | 3,450 (2024 est.) |
| Area | 3.302 sq mi | 2.335 sq mi |
| Incorporated | 1904 | 1904 |
| Housing and commute | ||
| Typical home price | $890k - $1.8M | $950k - $1.7M |
| Train station | Emerson or Oradell, Pascack Valley Line (~3.5-3.9 mi) | Emerson or Oradell, Pascack Valley Line (~1.8 mi) — closest to rail of the eight |
| Commute | No train. GWB about 10.3 mi | No train. GWB about 10.2 mi |
| Schools | ||
| K-8 district | Closter Public School District (Hillside PK-4, Tenakill 5-8) | Haworth Public School District (PK-8, single school) |
| High school | Northern Valley Regional HS at Demarest | Northern Valley Regional HS at Demarest |
| High school district | Northern Valley Regional | Northern Valley Regional |
| Taxes | ||
| Average residential tax bill | $19,574 (2025) | $21,262 (2025) |
| Effective tax rate | 2.017% | 2.185% |
| Average assessed value | $944,688 | $659,285 |
| Income and households | ||
| Median household income | $190,469 | $236,765 |
| Median family income | $194,375 | $243,971 |
| Median home value | $871,300 | $845,300 |
| Median rent | $2,721 | — |
| Own their home | 81.5% | 94.7% |
| Average household size | 3.21 | 3.17 |
| School performance | ||
| High school ELA, grade 9 | 79.9% | 79.9% |
| High school math, Algebra I | 63.5% | 63.5% |
| Graduation rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Mean SAT | 636 math / 629 reading | 636 math / 629 reading |
| Lower-grade ELA | 81.0% | 84.1% |
| Lower-grade math | 75.0% | 79.0% |
| Who lives here | ||
| White, not Hispanic or Latino | 48.8% | 62.1% |
| Asian (any ethnicity) | 31.0% | 14.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino, any race | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| Black (any ethnicity) | 2.0% | 2.7% |
| Two or more races | 10.6% | 16.9% |
| Born outside the US | 32.4% | 23.4% |
| Speak a language other than English at home | 49.3% | 29.2% |
| Local government | ||
| Mayor | John C. Glidden Jr. (Republican) | Heather J. Wasser |
| Term ends | December 2026 | December 2026 |
| Governing body | Borough form: mayor plus 6-member council | Borough form: mayor plus 6-member council |
| Council makeup | 4 Republicans, 2 Democrats | 4 Democrats, 1 Republican, 1 seat with no published party |
| Town hall | 201-784-0600 | 201-384-4785 |
| Public library | Closter Public Library (BCCLS) | Haworth Municipal Library (BCCLS, in Borough Hall) |
| How the town votes | ||
| 2024 president, Dem | 55.9% | 61.7% |
| 2024 president, Rep | 42.6% | 36.9% |
| Registered voters | 6,055 (Nov 2025) | 2,798 (Nov 2025) |
About these figures. Tax bills are New Jersey DCA / Treasury 2025 tables. School results are NJ Department of Education 2024-25, using grade 9 ELA and Algebra I so schools with different grade spans can be compared. Income and census figures are the Census Bureau's ACS 2020-2024 5-Year estimates. Mayors, councils and tax bills change — check each town's own site before relying on them.