Pros and Cons of Living in Hackensack
Hackensack's honest tradeoff is a real, dual government-and-healthcare economic anchor and genuinely strong (if not single-seat) transit access, set against an elevated property-tax rate that tops even Bergen County's own average.
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Learn moreReal advantages
Hackensack offers a real, dual county-government-and-healthcare employment anchor, a citywide crime rate that beats the national average, three Pascack Valley Line stations plus a direct George Washington Bridge bus route, and no direct coastal-storm exposure.
Real tradeoffs
Hackensack's own effective property-tax rate (2.88%) runs above even Bergen County's already-elevated average; housing costs run genuinely above the national median; there is no single-seat Manhattan train; and the city's crime rate ranks worse than most other NJ municipalities specifically, even as it beats the national average outright.
The net read
For movers prioritizing Bergen County's NYC-commuter-suburb access and healthcare-or-government-sector employment who budget realistically for the real, elevated property-tax bill, Hackensack's advantages are real. For buyers who need a single-seat Manhattan train or the absolute lowest NJ property-tax rate, other NJ Tier A markets in this project may fit better.
Key takeaways
- Real pros: dual government-and-healthcare employment, strong transit access, a crime rate below the national average.
- Real cons: an elevated 2.88% property-tax rate and no single-seat Manhattan train.
- The net read favors NYC-commuter-suburb buyers who budget realistically for the real tax picture.
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