Deborah Sirico, a lifelong borough resident and a sales associate at Coldwell Banker in Hillsdale, N.J., said the ease of public transportation to New York and a shorter commute than in other Pascack Valley communities are selling points for Emerson. As for the tangle of road and rail in the middle of the borough, Ms. Sirico said residents learn to “zig and zag” to avoid the grade crossing, especially at rush hour.
Driving through the borough likely won’t get any easier, as a major development project — a four-story complex called Emerson Station that will include 147 rental apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail space — is in the early stages of construction next to the train station.
What You’ll Pay
With home prices starting in the $400,000s, Emerson is a good option for first-time buyers, said Robert Dzienis, a sales associate with Better Real Estate, who specializes in the Pascack Valley.
“Because the houses tend to be smaller and at a smaller price point, you get more of a blue-collar resident” than in neighboring communities, said Mr. Dzienis, who calls Emerson a “sleeper” town that budget-conscious buyers may not have on their radar. “There aren’t a lot of properties that reach the $700,000 to $800,000 range.”
From Sept. 1, 2021, to Aug. 31, 2022, 80 single-family houses in Emerson sold at a median price of $582,500, compared with 92 sales at a median price of $560,215 during the same period a year earlier, according to the New Jersey Multiple Listing Service. On Sept. 29, the service’s website showed seven single-family houses listed for sale, from $449,000 to $1.19 million.
Emerson’s average property taxes in 2021 were $13,154, about $700 higher than the Bergen County average, but still among the lowest in the Pascack Valley.