Bergen County, New Jersey Eviction Risk: High

Bergen County carries an average eviction risk score of 7.6/10, placing it in the High risk tier across all 62 cities in the county. For landlords and investors operating in New Jersey eviction laws, that headline number signals a market where tenant-protection statutes are robust, just-cause eviction requirements are in force statewide, and the time and cost of removing a non-performing tenant are both meaningful. The county-wide average rent of $2,129 per month and an average rent-burden figure of 31.9% suggest tenants are stretched, which historically correlates with higher rates of late payment and contested proceedings.

Despite the High label, Bergen County's statewide position offers context. With a rank of 16 out of 21 New Jersey counties, and with 15 counties carrying higher risk scores, Bergen actually sits in the lower-risk third of the state. The intra-county spread, however, tells a sharper story: individual city scores range from 6.7 to 8, a gap wide enough to make city selection the single most consequential decision a Bergen County landlord can make.

The cities inside Bergen County

The riskiest end of the county is anchored by Ridgefield Park (population 46,057, score 8/10) and Englewood (population 29,638, score 7.8/10). Hackensack is the county seat and its largest city; both cities combine dense renter populations with scores that put them well above the county average. Moonachie also scores 7.5/10, while Elmwood Park and Bogota each land at 7.9/10. In these markets, landlords should budget for the full range of legal costs and longer timelines from the outset.

Toward the lower end of the spectrum, Ridgewood scores 7.3/10 and Paramus scores 7.7/10, both meaningfully below the county average. Fair Lawn comes in at 7.6/10. Risk is genuinely hyper-local inside Bergen County: a landlord acquiring units in Ridgewood eviction risk is operating in a materially different environment than one acquiring in Hackensack eviction risk, even though both properties share the same county infrastructure and courts.

State-level laws that apply here

Every Bergen County landlord operates under New Jersey eviction laws's Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. § 2A:18), which mandates just-cause eviction statewide. There is no lease-nonrenewal without grounds. Notice requirements vary by cause: nonpayment of rent requires no advance notice before filing, disorderly conduct or willful damage triggers a 3-day notice, a substantial lease violation requires a 30-day notice, and an owner move-in or substantial renovation requires 60 days. Source of income is a protected class under state law, and landlords must provide at least 24 hours of notice before entry. Understanding the full New Jersey eviction laws eviction process, including which cause applies and which notice period controls, is essential before any filing.

On costs, the New Jersey eviction costs a landlord should plan for range from a court filing fee of $50 to $100, a sheriff lockout fee of $40 to $150, and attorney fees of $750 to $3,500, depending on whether the case is contested. Uncontested proceedings typically resolve in 30 to 60 days; contested cases run 90 to 180 days. State law does not preempt local rent control, so individual municipalities within Bergen County may layer additional tenant protections on top of state requirements, a factor that directly affects the city-level scores above.

Bergen County's average poverty rate of 6.9% and renter share of 35% shape the demand and default-risk profile across its 62 cities; the city grid above breaks those conditions down municipality by municipality so landlords can compare risk precisely before committing capital.