Town vs town
Demarest vs Norwood
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: Norwood is lower by about $9,916 a year on the average home ($26,112 vs $16,196).
- Schools: different high schools — Northern Valley Regional HS at Demarest for Demarest, Northern Valley Regional HS at Old Tappan for Norwood.
- Incomes: Demarest is higher — $208,036 against $178,311 (Census ACS).
Demarest
The biggest houses and the biggest tax bill
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Norwood
North woods, one school, and a hundred acres kept open
Read the guide →
| Demarest | Norwood | |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | Borough | Borough |
| Population | 4,941 (2024 est.) | 5,854 (2024 est.) |
| Area | 2.079 sq mi | 2.794 sq mi |
| Incorporated | 1903 | 1905 |
| Housing and commute | ||
| Typical home price | $1.1M - $2.5M | $690k - $1.4M |
| Train station | Oradell or Emerson, Pascack Valley Line (~3.9-4.1 mi) | Emerson, Pascack Valley Line (~4.2 mi) |
| Commute | No train. GWB about 8.9 mi | No train. Drive or bus to the GWB |
| Schools | ||
| K-8 district | Demarest School District (County Road PK-1, Luther Lee Emerson 2-4, Demarest MS 5-8) | Norwood Public School District (PK-8, single school) |
| 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 | $26,112 (2025) | $16,196 (2025) |
| Effective tax rate | 1.924% | 2.054% |
| Average assessed value | $1,446,665 | $560,028 |
| Income and households | ||
| Median household income | $208,036 | $178,311 |
| Median family income | — | $194,750 |
| Median home value | $1,114,600 | $709,100 |
| Median rent | — | $2,094 |
| Own their home | 94.3% | 79.2% |
| Average household size | 2.93 | 2.82 |
| 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 | 83.1% | 75.7% |
| Lower-grade math | 79.3% | 66.2% |
| Who lives here | ||
| White, not Hispanic or Latino | 68.4% | 55.9% |
| Asian (any ethnicity) | 19.8% | 30.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino, any race | 6.0% | 10.5% |
| Black (any ethnicity) | 4.8% | 1.2% |
| Two or more races | 1.8% | 10.1% |
| Born outside the US | 24.4% | 29.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home | 30.4% | 37.7% |
| Local government | ||
| Mayor | Brian K. Bernstein (Democrat) | James P. Barsa (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 Democrats, 1 Republican, 1 seat with no published party | 3 Republicans, 3 Democrats |
| Town hall | 201-768-0167 | 201-767-7200 |
| Public library | Demarest Public Library (BCCLS) | Norwood Public Library (BCCLS) |
| How the town votes | ||
| 2024 president, Dem | 60.3% | 51.1% |
| 2024 president, Rep | 38.2% | 47.4% |
| Registered voters | 3,667 (Nov 2025) | 4,471 (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.