If you’re looking for one of the most desirable addresses in Bergen County, Demarest belongs at the top of the conversation. This borough of about 5,000 residents is home to Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, part of the #1-ranked school district in New Jersey, and sits just 13 minutes from the George Washington Bridge. Add in a 55-acre nature preserve, and a community with deep historical roots, and you start to understand why homes here don’t stay on the market for long.
As a Bergen County real estate specialist, I’ve helped families settle across every part of the county. Here are the top five reasons my clients keep choosing Demarest.
1. The #1 School District in New Jersey, Right in Town
This is Demarest’s headline, and it’s earned. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest is rated A+ by Niche and 10/10 by GreatSchools, with average SAT scores of 1380, a 99% graduation rate, and an 86% AP participation rate. The school earned a Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence and is ranked #18 in New Jersey by U.S. News, and #8 among non-selective-enrollment schools.
Before high school, Demarest students attend three well-regarded schools: County Road School (PK-1), Luther Lee Emerson School (grades 2-4, ranked #47 among NJ’s best elementary schools by Niche), and Demarest Middle School (5-8). The district maintains a 12:1 student-teacher ratio across the board. For families making a move based on education, Demarest is as strong as public schooling gets in New Jersey.
2. Public Safety: Check the Official Numbers
For current crime statistics, see the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Reports and the Demarest Police Department.
3. 55 Acres of Nature Preserve, Plus Parks, History, and Community Events
Demarest punches well above its weight when it comes to green space and cultural life. The Demarest Nature Center is a 55-acre preserve featuring woods, vernal ponds, meadows, and a stretch of Tenakill Brook. The center runs year-round programs: maple syrup making in spring, bird watching, mushroom foraging, and an annual Oktoberfest.
Beyond the nature center, Duck Pond Park is a scenic spot that regularly attracts painters, and Wakelee Field provides sports fields, playgrounds, and picnic areas. The borough’s calendar includes a Holiday Tree Lighting, Summer Concert Series, and Community Day. There’s also the Old Church Cultural Center, the community’s original 1874 Baptist Church, now hosting art exhibitions, concerts, and workshops.
4. One of the Closest Northern Valley Towns to the George Washington Bridge
Location matters in Bergen County real estate, and Demarest has one of the best positions in the Northern Valley. The George Washington Bridge is just 10 miles away, roughly a 13-minute drive without traffic. That’s closer than most of the surrounding towns.
NJ Transit Bus Routes 186 and 167 serve Demarest with connections to the GW Bridge Bus Terminal, where you can hop on the A train at 175th Street for Midtown Manhattan. The average commute for Demarest residents is about 40 minutes door-to-door, competitive for a town with this caliber of schools.
5. Deep Roots and a Stable Community
Demarest’s history runs deeper than most Bergen County towns. The borough is named after David Demarest (des Marets), a French Huguenot who settled in Bergen County in 1677. The Demarest Railroad Station, designed in 1874 by J. Cleveland Cady, the architect behind the Metropolitan Opera House and the American Museum of Natural History, still stands as a local landmark, built from Palisades stone.
Today, the median household income of about $175,000 and an extraordinary 90% homeownership rate tell you everything about the stability and investment residents have in this community. With a poverty rate under 1%, Demarest is one of the most economically secure boroughs in the state.
Where to Eat in Demarest
Demarest is small and residential by design, so its own dining is short but genuine, and the Northern Valley’s best sits minutes away. Two spots are Demarest’s own; the rest are a quick drive into Closter, Tenafly, and Cresskill.
Yasou Mykonos
Yasou Mykonos is Demarest’s own Greek kitchen, a warm BYOB on Hardenburgh Avenue built around homemade classics: tender beef and lamb gyro, souvlaki, and a vegetarian moussaka regulars order on repeat. Generous portions, fresh ingredients, and hospitality that makes it a weeknight standby.
Why locals love it: real Greek cooking, BYOB, right in town. It is the Demarest go-to when nobody feels like driving.
Demarest Pizzeria
Demarest Pizzeria on Hardenburgh Avenue is the neighborhood landmark, the corner slice-and-pie spot that has fed the town for years. Nothing fancy, just a reliable, well-made pizza a short walk from home.
Why locals love it: the hometown pizzeria every good town needs. It is where the Friday-night pie comes from.
Brasserie Memere
Five minutes away in Closter, Brasserie Memere is the French bistro Demarest residents claim as their special-occasion room. Authentic French cooking in an intimate setting, the kind of place that holds its own against the best in the state.
Why locals love it: genuine French cooking minutes from home. It is date night without the drive into the city.
The 130 Club
A short drive into Tenafly, The 130 Club is an intimate upscale steakhouse styled after a 1940s supper club, all soft lighting and old-school polish. The steaks and prime rib are the draw, and the room is built for a quiet, grown-up dinner.
Why locals love it: timeless steakhouse elegance a few minutes away. It is where you take someone you want to impress.
Olive Tree
In neighboring Cresskill, Olive Tree is a Mediterranean BYOB on Union Avenue that has quickly earned a following for fresh, well-priced cooking. It rounds out the everyday options for Demarest families who want something relaxed and close.
Why locals love it: easygoing Mediterranean, BYOB, minutes away. The kind of place you fall into on a Tuesday.
What Demarest’s Dining Really Is
Demarest’s honest dining story is location. The borough keeps a couple of genuine local spots, and it sits inside a five-minute radius of some of Bergen County’s best restaurants in Closter, Tenafly, and Cresskill. Quiet streets at home, a serious dinner a short drive away.
Ready to Make Demarest Home?
The dining is only part of the story. As a Bergen County real estate expert, I know every street, school district, and quiet corner in Demarest. If you’re relocating from NYC, upsizing for a growing family, or looking for your first home in the Northern Valley, I’ll help you navigate the market and find the right fit. If you’re still weighing where in the county to land, take a look at Bergen County’s other luxury towns. I’d be glad to help you turn your dreams into an address.
Your Demarest agent
Thomas Lee
Thomas Lee is a licensed real estate agent with 2Win Realty LLC, specializing in Bergen County residential real estate. With deep local expertise and a client-first approach, Tom helps buyers and sellers across all 70 Bergen County municipalities make confident real estate decisions.
