Town vs town
Closter vs Old Tappan
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: Old Tappan is lower by about $197 a year on the average home ($19,574 vs $19,377).
- Schools: different high schools — Northern Valley Regional HS at Demarest for Closter, Northern Valley Regional HS at Old Tappan for Old Tappan.
- Incomes: Old Tappan is higher — $205,385 against $190,469 (Census ACS).
Closter
The town the other seven drive to
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Old Tappan
Big lots, the lowest tax rate, and the high school five towns attend
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| Closter | Old Tappan | |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | Borough | Borough |
| Population | 8,730 (2024 est.) | 6,342 (2024 est.) |
| Area | 3.302 sq mi | 4.163 sq mi |
| Incorporated | 1904 | 1894 |
| Housing and commute | ||
| Typical home price | $890k - $1.8M | $905k - $1.8M |
| Train station | Emerson or Oradell, Pascack Valley Line (~3.5-3.9 mi) | Montvale, Pascack Valley Line (~2.6 mi) |
| Commute | No train. GWB about 10.3 mi | No train. Drive or bus to the GWB |
| Schools | ||
| K-8 district | Closter Public School District (Hillside PK-4, Tenakill 5-8) | Old Tappan Public School District (T. Baldwin Demarest PK-4, Charles DeWolf 5-8) |
| High school | Northern Valley Regional HS at Demarest | Northern Valley Regional HS at Old Tappan |
| High school district | Northern Valley Regional | Northern Valley Regional |
| Taxes | ||
| Average residential tax bill | $19,574 (2025) | $19,377 (2025) |
| Effective tax rate | 2.017% | 1.785% |
| Average assessed value | $944,688 | $825,978 |
| Income and households | ||
| Median household income | $190,469 | $205,385 |
| Median family income | $194,375 | $213,125 |
| Median home value | $871,300 | $951,300 |
| Median rent | $2,721 | — |
| Own their home | 81.5% | 94.1% |
| Average household size | 3.21 | 3.10 |
| School performance | ||
| High school ELA, grade 9 | 79.9% | 76.0% |
| High school math, Algebra I | 63.5% | 56.6% |
| Graduation rate | 100.0% | 98.0% |
| Mean SAT | 636 math / 629 reading | 619 math / 619 reading |
| Lower-grade ELA | 81.0% | 80.7% |
| Lower-grade math | 75.0% | 74.7% |
| Who lives here | ||
| White, not Hispanic or Latino | 48.8% | 49.0% |
| Asian (any ethnicity) | 31.0% | 41.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino, any race | 11.1% | 4.5% |
| Black (any ethnicity) | 2.0% | 3.2% |
| Two or more races | 10.6% | 4.5% |
| Born outside the US | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home | 49.3% | 40.8% |
| Local government | ||
| Mayor | John C. Glidden Jr. (Republican) | Thomas E. Gallagher (Republican) |
| Term ends | December 2026 | December 2027 |
| Governing body | Borough form: mayor plus 6-member council | Borough form: mayor plus 6-member council |
| Council makeup | 4 Republicans, 2 Democrats | 5 Republicans, 1 seat with no published party |
| Town hall | 201-784-0600 | 201-664-1849 |
| Public library | Closter Public Library (BCCLS) | Old Tappan Public Library (association library, BCCLS) |
| How the town votes | ||
| 2024 president, Dem | 55.9% | 43.1% |
| 2024 president, Rep | 42.6% | 55.1% |
| Registered voters | 6,055 (Nov 2025) | 4,947 (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.