Clifton Home Prices: $598K, Up 2.3% — 4 ZIPs Analyzed (2026)
$597,851. That’s the typical home value in Clifton as of February 2026, up 2.3% from a year ago. The number has climbed every month since last summer, and the pace has picked up since the new year.
Quick answer: The average home price in Clifton, NJ is $597,851 as of February 2026, up 2.3% year over year.
Current Home Prices in Clifton
The Clifton housing market sits firmly in the high-five-hundreds. Across the four ZIP codes that make up the city, the typical home value is $597,851 — a 2.3% increase from February 2025.
The price spread between neighborhoods is narrower than you might expect for a New York metro suburb. The most affordable ZIP runs about $566,611. The priciest reaches $634,988. That’s a $68,377 gap, or roughly 11% from bottom to top.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value (Feb 2026) | $597,851 |
| Year-over-year change | +2.3% |
| Lowest ZIP value | $566,611 |
| Highest ZIP value | $634,988 |
| ZIP codes analyzed | 4 |
| Metro area | New York-Newark-Jersey City |
For context, Clifton sits inside the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro. That puts it in the orbit of Manhattan commuters but at prices well below the city itself. The 2.3% annual gain is moderate. It’s not the double-digit run-up of 2021, and it’s not the flat-to-down trajectory some Sun Belt markets are seeing.
What stands out in the data is the steadiness. Prices dipped in mid-2025, bottomed out in July at $583,218, and have moved up every single month since. The recent acceleration matters more than the year-over-year headline. From November 2025 to February 2026, values rose from $589,369 to $597,851 — a $8,482 gain in just four months.
Clifton Home Prices by Neighborhood
Four ZIP codes cover Clifton. Two cluster near $570K. The other two sit closer to $625K.
| ZIP Code | Typical Home Value | Avg Monthly Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 07012 | $634,988 | Not available |
| 07013 | $620,590 | $2,338 |
| 07014 | $569,217 | Not available |
| 07011 | $566,611 | $2,458 |
Most Expensive
07012 leads the city at $634,988, about $37,000 above the citywide median and the only ZIP topping $630K. 07013 follows at $620,590, with rent averaging $2,338 a month — the lower of the two ZIPs reporting rent data.
Most Affordable
07011 is the cheapest at $566,611, roughly 5% below the city average, with rent at $2,458 — actually higher than the more expensive 07013 ZIP. 07014 comes in just above at $569,217.
The rent-vs-price relationship in 07011 stands out. The cheapest homes pair with the highest rents in the dataset. That can mean stronger investor demand or tighter rental supply in that part of town.
Rent vs Buy in Clifton
Rent data is available for two of Clifton’s four ZIPs. The average works out to about $2,398 a month — $2,458 in 07011 and $2,338 in 07013.
Now run the math on buying. A median home at $597,851, with 20% down ($119,570) and a 30-year mortgage at roughly 7%, produces a principal-and-interest payment near $3,181 a month. New Jersey property taxes are among the highest in the country. On a home of this value, expect roughly $1,000 to $1,100 a month for property tax alone. Add insurance and you’re looking at a total monthly cost in the $4,300-$4,400 range.
| Cost | Buy (median home) | Rent (avg) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly outlay | ~$4,300 | $2,398 |
| Upfront cash | $119,570+ | First/last/security |
That’s a gap of roughly $1,900 a month favoring renters on cash flow alone. Buyers do build equity, and tax deductions soften the blow somewhat. But on raw monthly cost, renting wins clearly in Clifton at current rates.
The math shifts if rates fall, if you put more than 20% down, or if you plan to stay long enough for appreciation to outpace the carry cost. With prices up 2.3% annually, a buyer would gain roughly $13,750 in equity per year on the median home — closing some of the gap, but not all of it.
Population Growth and Migration
Clifton had 90,322 residents in 2024, up from 89,580 in 2020. That’s a 0.8% gain over four years — slow growth, but growth.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 89,580 |
| 2021 | 89,054 |
| 2022 | 88,661 |
| 2023 | 89,204 |
| 2024 | 90,322 |
The path was bumpy. Clifton lost residents in 2021 and 2022, dropping below 89,000 before reversing course. The 2024 figure is the highest in the five-year window.
How does that compare to nearby New Jersey cities?
| City | 2024 Population | 4-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Bayonne | 74,532 | +4.1% |
| Jersey City | 302,824 | +3.7% |
| East Orange | 71,850 | +3.5% |
| Elizabeth | 140,413 | +2.7% |
| Newark | 317,303 | +2.1% |
| Clifton | 90,322 | +0.8% |
Clifton is growing slower than every comparison city. Bayonne, just 16 miles south, expanded five times faster. Jersey City added population at nearly five times Clifton’s rate.
For housing demand, this is a mixed signal. A growing population supports prices over time. But Clifton’s growth is mild enough that demand pressure here comes more from the broader metro spillover than from local in-migration.
Clifton Housing Market Trends
The 12-month trend tells a clear story: a soft middle, then a steady climb.
| Month | Median Value |
|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | $584,254 |
| Apr 2025 | $586,343 |
| May 2025 | $585,845 |
| Jun 2025 | $584,176 |
| Jul 2025 | $583,218 |
| Aug 2025 | $584,088 |
| Sep 2025 | $586,162 |
| Oct 2025 | $588,108 |
| Nov 2025 | $589,369 |
| Dec 2025 | $590,887 |
| Jan 2026 | $593,654 |
| Feb 2026 | $597,851 |
Values dipped through spring and early summer 2025, hitting bottom in July. Since then, each month has posted a gain. The pace has accelerated: November-to-February added about $8,500, while June-to-September added only $1,900.
Total move from the July low to February high: $14,633, or roughly 2.5%. That’s a meaningful seven-month gain, and it explains why the year-over-year number lands at +2.3% even though the spring 2025 prints were weaker than today.
Is Clifton a Good Place to Buy in 2026?
The data points to a seller’s market with moderate momentum. Prices have risen for seven straight months. The recent acceleration suggests demand is firming up, not cooling.
That said, the affordability picture is strained. A median home costs about $1,900 a month more to own than to rent. Population growth is the slowest among comparable New Jersey cities, so the demand isn’t being driven by a flood of new residents — it’s broader metro pressure.
For buyers, the calculation depends on time horizon. If you’re staying five-plus years, the steady appreciation can work in your favor. If you might leave sooner, the rent-vs-buy gap is hard to overcome.
For sellers, the current setup looks favorable. Prices are climbing, the market hit a floor in mid-2025 and has reversed cleanly, and you’re not selling into a glut.
Clifton Housing Market Outlook for 2026-2027
The 3-month trend points up. November to February added $8,482 in value, an average of about $2,121 per month. If that pace continues, prices would push toward $610K by mid-2026 and the low $620Ks by year-end.
Two things could disrupt that path. A shift in mortgage rates would cool buyer demand quickly given how stretched affordability already is. And if the recent acceleration is seasonal — late-winter listings often command premiums — the gains could flatten into spring.
The base case from the data alone: continued upward drift through the next three to six months, with the rate of climb likely to moderate from the recent $2,000-plus monthly pace. Year-over-year comparisons should stay positive into 2027, since the spring 2025 numbers being lapped were soft.
Similar Markets in NJ
If you’re shopping the broader New Jersey market, here’s how a few comparable cities stack up against Clifton:
- Jersey City — the biggest nearby city, growing 3.7% over four years and a typical step up in price for buyers chasing transit access.
- Newark — the state’s largest city, where buyers priced out of Clifton often find more inventory below the $500K mark.
- Elizabeth — population 140,413 and growing 2.7%, often a more affordable alternative for commuters.
- Edison — a Middlesex County option for buyers who want suburban scale without Clifton’s price ceiling.
- Paterson — Clifton’s immediate neighbor to the north, typically priced well below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average home price in Clifton?
The typical home value in Clifton, NJ is $597,851 as of February 2026. That figure is the average across the city’s four ZIP codes, which range from $566,611 in 07011 to $634,988 in 07012.
Are home prices going up or down in Clifton?
Prices are up. The year-over-year gain is 2.3%, and values have risen every month since July 2025, when they bottomed at $583,218. The pace has accelerated recently, with the last four months adding more than $8,400 to the typical value.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clifton?
Renting is cheaper on a monthly basis. The average rent across Clifton ZIPs with data is about $2,398, while owning the median home costs roughly $4,300 a month once you factor in mortgage, New Jersey property taxes, and insurance. The gap is close to $1,900 a month.
What is the most affordable neighborhood in Clifton?
ZIP 07011 has the lowest typical home value at $566,611, about $31,000 below the citywide median. Rents in 07011 are actually the highest in the city at $2,458, suggesting tight rental demand in that part of Clifton.
Methodology
Home values are based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a smoothed measure of typical home values in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Rent estimates use the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2020-2024 vintage). All datasets are publicly available. Housing data updated 2026-02-28.