City profile · New Jersey · Census ACS 2023

Montvale, NJ

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Montvale - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

8,625
Residents
$183,664
Median income
$688,500
Median home
$2,324
Median rent (state)

Montvale - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Montvale lands in the 97th percentile for household income and the 64th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

97th
percentile, household income
92nd
percentile, home value
89th
percentile, median rent
64th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Montvale, NJ

8,625 people live in Montvale, New Jersey - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Montvale brings in $183,664 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.7%. Typical homes in Montvale are valued around $688,500, and the median resident age is 40.7 years. About 56.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 8 residential building permits were authorized in Montvale (Construction Slowdown), down 72% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Montvale reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 988.4 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

New Jersey carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 108.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,324 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across New Jersey, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

8,625 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New Jersey

Median Household Income

$183,664 /yr

Poverty 5.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

108.8 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New Jersey average

How does Montvale compare to other US cities?

Here's how Montvale stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 97% higher than other cities
Home value 92% pricier than other cities
Median rent 89% pricier than other cities
Safety 64% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just New Jersey and the picture shifts: Montvale ranks #116 of 238 New Jersey cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Montvale against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New Jersey only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

New Jersey-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Montvale toward the top of New Jersey's cities

Among the 672 New Jersey cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Montvale ranks #104 - the 85th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Montvale only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#62 of 659
91st percentile in New Jersey
Median Gross Rent
#221 of 686
57th percentile in New Jersey
Median Home Value
#104 of 672
85th percentile in New Jersey
Poverty Rate
#203 of 680
70th percentile in New Jersey
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#198 of 686
71st percentile in New Jersey

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New Jersey only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

97thIncome percentile
64thSafety percentile

97th percentile nationally for median household income · 64th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Montvale's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Montvale's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 57 Avg. percentile National median
Montvale's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Montvale's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$688,500 8th percentile more affordable than 8% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Montvale $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Montvale, NJ Montvale, NJ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Montvale, NJ-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Montvale, NJ median $183,664/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Montvale, NJ's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Montvale, NJ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 56.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
8,625
Median Income
$183,664
Median Home Value
$688,500
Median Age
40.7
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Labor force participation
59.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
56.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
988.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
50.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
938.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
8,000 residents9,000 residents10,000 residents11,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 8,434 residents 10,113 residents ▲ +19.9%
Montvale's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
8
housing units authorized
Single-Family
8
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 29
2020 331
2021 233
2022 45
2023 16
2024 8

Permit volume decreased 72% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
57.4%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
5.3%
Walk
0.1%
Work from Home
29.5%
Other
1.0%

Based on 4,007 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New Jersey - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$95
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New Jersey state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New Jersey state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Montvale sits in

Cost of Living Index
108.8
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,324/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New Jersey

West Long Branch
8,576 people
Audubon
8,699 people
Closter
8,544 people
White Meadow Lake
8,706 people
North Haledon
8,757 people
Madison Park
8,798 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Montvale's 8,625 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Perryton, TX
8,625 people
Montrose, VA
8,624 people
Chanute, KS
8,629 people
East Foothills, CA
8,630 people
Glenwood, IL
8,620 people
Highland Heights, OH
8,619 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Montvale's $183,664 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

New Baltimore, VA
$183,696 median income
Saddle Rock, NY
$183,750 median income
Redding Center, CT
$183,796 median income
Mill Creek East, WA
$183,466 median income
West Hills, NY
$183,375 median income
Port Washington, NY
$183,964 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Montvale, NJ Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Montvale, NJ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 75.7% 13.2% 7.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.2% White 75.7% Black or African American 2.5% Asian 13.2% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 7.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Montvale compares to nearby New Jersey cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Montvale (this city) 8,625 $183,664
West Long Branch 8,576 $123,661
Audubon 8,699 $116,900
Closter 8,544 $187,500
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NJ FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Montvale, NJ?

What is the population of Montvale, NJ? +

Montvale, NJ counts 8,625 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Montvale, NJ? +

Median annual household income in Montvale runs $183,664, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Montvale? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Montvale; the closest available measure is the New Jersey state average, a cost of living index of 108.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New Jersey vary by metro area.

Is Montvale, NJ safe? +

Montvale has a total crime rate of 988.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Montvale, NJ? +

The median home value in Montvale is $688,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.