Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 (+5.8%) from the 2010 census count of 26,764, which in turn reflected an increase of 517 (+2.0%) from the 26,247 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Bergenfield as its 211th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey."Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 201-250", New Jersey Monthly, February 11, 2010. Accessed August 20, 2011. The magazine ranked Bergenfield as its 231st best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live"."Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 201-300" , New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed June 6, 2008.

NeighborhoodScout named Bergenfield as the safest municipality in the nation in 2012 with more than 25,000 residents"NeighborhoodScout's Safest Cities; Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. - 2013", NeighborhoodScout. Accessed November 29, 2014. and in both 2013 and 2014 they named it as the 2nd safest town in the US only behind Franklin, Massachusetts."NeighborhoodScout's Safest Cities; Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. - 2012", NeighborhoodScout. Accessed November 29, 2014."NeighborhoodScout's Safest Cities; Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S.", NeighborhoodScout. Accessed November 29, 2014. In 2019, Bergenfield has dropped in their ratings, falling to number 4.NeighborhoodScout's Safest Cities; Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S.", NeighborhoodScout. Accessed October 6, 2019.

History Bergenfield was formed on the basis of a referendum held on June 25, 1894, from portions of Englewood Township and Palisades Township.History, Borough of Bergenfield. Accessed October 10, 2024. "Incorporated June 25, 1894"Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 75. Accessed May 1, 2026.History of Bergen County, p. 336 ff. shows an incorporation date of July 17, 1894. The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.Harvey, Cornelius Burnham. Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey, p. 11, New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900. Accessed October 10, 2024. "For a period of sixteen years following the passage of this act few boroughs were organized in the State, only three of them being in Bergen County.... As it was twenty-six boroughs were created in the county from January 23, 1894, to December 18, of the same year." The borough was named for its location in Bergen County.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 10, 2024.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.91 square miles (7.55 km2), including 2.90 square miles (7.52 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2) of water (0.31%).

The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Cresskill, Dumont, Englewood, New Milford, Teaneck and Tenafly.Areas touching Bergenfield, MapIt. Accessed March 19, 2020.Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 19, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

Demographics

Bergenfield has been called the Little Manila of Bergen County.Stevens, Jean. "Popular roast pig finds a following in North Jersey", Herald News, September 12, 2007. "One might find more lechon in Passaic these days. The city may be North Jersey's next so-called Little Manila, following Bergenfield, Bloomfield and Belleville."Pizarro, Max. "Rivas and Soriano champion Corzine and Christie respectively in Bergenfield", PolitickerNJ, July 12, 2009. Accessed September 6, 2017. "'I think people see him as an everyday man who is upset about the situation we are facing in New Jersey,' the reverend said today as he made the rounds with Christie from one vendor's booth to the next in a town dubbed Bergen's little Manila, home to 15,000 Filipino-Americans." Of the 14,224 Filipino population in the county as a whole enumerated in the 2000 Census, 3,133 (22% of the county total) lived in Bergenfield.Asian: Filipino Population by County, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed July 18, 2017.Bergenfield 2000 Census Data, areaconnect.com. Accessed April 10, 2006. By the 2010 Census, 4,569 Bergenfield residents (17.1% of the population) listed themselves as being of Filipino ancestry, and increasing further to 5,062 (18.4%) by 2016.ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates - Bergenfield borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 27, 2019.

A growing Jewish community in Bergenfield and neighboring Teaneck is comprised of Modern Orthodox Jews.2014 Northern New Jersey Federation Survey: "Survey Says", Berman Jewish Databank, 2014. Accessed May 23, 2024. "The South Bergen area (especially Teaneck/Bergenfield) and East Bergen are the core of the community in many ways, with a larger proportion in these areas strongly connected to being Jewish."

Racial and ethnic composition +Bergenfield borough, Bergen County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)14,16510,5469,27853.97%39.40%32.76%Black or African American alone (NH)1,6651,7241,8946.34%6.44%6.69%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3932300.15%0.12%0.11%Asian alone (NH)5,3276,7787,22220.30%25.33%25.50%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)4900.02%0.03%0.00%Other race alone (NH)105592440.40%0.22%0.86%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)4685195321.78%1.94%1.88%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4,4747,0979,12117.05%26.52%32.21%Total26,24726,76428,321 100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Bergenfield had a population of 28,321. The median age was 40.1 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 9,097 households in Bergenfield, of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.4% were married-couple households, 13.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,387 housing units, of which 3.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.0%.

2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 26,764 people, 8,852 households, and 6,816 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 9,200 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 52.42% (14,029) White, 7.70% (2,060) Black or African American, 0.31% (84) Native American, 25.60% (6,851) Asian, 0.05% (13) Pacific Islander, 10.12% (2,709) from other races, and 3.80% (1,018) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 26.52% (7,097) of the population.

Of the 8,852 households, 35.5% had children under the age of 18; 58.7% were married couples living together; 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.0% were non-families. Of all households, 19.4% were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.46.

23.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $82,546 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,568) and the median family income was $99,963 (+/− $5,602). Males had a median income of $52,891 (+/− $2,058) versus $50,443 (+/− $2,598) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,034 (+/− $2,133). About 3.9% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over., United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 28, 2012.

Same-sex couples headed 62 households in 2010, an increase from the 51 counted in 2000.Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed September 5, 2014.

2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 26,247 people, 8,981 households, and 6,753 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 9,147 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 62.90% White, 6.90% African American, 0.24% Native American, 20.41% Asian (5,357 Asian), 0.02% Pacific Islander, 6.47% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 17.05% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Bergenfield borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 4, 2013., United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 4, 2013.

There were 8,981 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the borough 24.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.3% was from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $62,172, and the median income for a family was $71,187. Males had a median income of $42,074 versus $35,137 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,706. About 2.6% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over. Economy Prestige Records, a major producer of jazz recordings that was established in 1949, had its offices in Bergenfield from the mid-1960s until its sale in 1972.Fields, Joe. "Ozzie Cadena: (9/26/1924 – 4/9/2008)", JazzTimes, March 2009. Accessed September 6, 2017. "Bob Weinstock, the owner of Prestige, and Ozzie stayed friendly through the years. Weinstock rarely went to the Prestige office in Bergenfield, N.J. He felt his privacy was compromised there."

Arts and culture