The Town FilesBrookdale, New Jersey
Community in Essex County · population 9,854 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $573,500
- Household income
- $161,779
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 28 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 38.1
Brookdale is a community of 9,854 people in Essex County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $573,500, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of New Jersey towns, more walkable than 90% of New Jersey towns, better transit than 89% of New Jersey towns.
How Brookdale ranks
Percentile among New Jersey towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Jersey towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Brookdale is worth $573,500, above the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $161,779, which is more affordable than 62% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $1,791 a month. 87.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Brookdale | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $573,500 | $435,600 |
| Median rent | $1,791 | $1,774 |
| Median household income | $161,779 | $111,891 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 87.2% | 80.8% |
| Median year built | 1951 | 1969 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Brookdale
| People | Brookdale | Typical New Jersey town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.1 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.8% | 18.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.5% | 44.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 5.7% |
| Veterans | 3.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.8% | — |
| Work from home | 23.8% | 16.3% |
| Average commute | 35.3 min | 30.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.4% | 94.6% |
Weather in Brookdale
July highs average 85.6°F and January lows 21.4°F. About 48.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.2 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 118 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brookdale since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 7, 1962 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 38 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 6, 2020.
Severe weather in Essex County since 1996
Essex County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| September 2, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida |
| December 11, 2020 | Hurricane | DR-4574: Tropical Storm Isaias |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3451: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Essex County
Essex County had 349,076 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $88,369 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in 2023; in Brookdale itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.
Towns near Brookdale
- Upper Montclair, NJ1.3 mi · 13,146 people · home $989,000
- Nutley, NJ1.6 mi · 30,143 people · home $516,300
- Montclair, NJ1.7 mi · 40,921 people · home $906,400
- Bloomfield, NJ1.8 mi · 53,105 people · home $470,800
- Clifton, NJ2.2 mi · 90,296 people · home $461,900
- Glen Ridge, NJ2.4 mi · 7,802 people · home $836,600
- Great Notch, NJ3.0 mi · 3,289 people · home $580,400
- Belleville, NJ3.0 mi · 38,222 people · home $421,000
Brookdale questions
Is Brookdale, New Jersey a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brookdale scores better for retirees than 38% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 21%. 15.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).
How much does a house cost in Brookdale?
The median owner-occupied home in Brookdale is valued at $573,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $161,779, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,791 a month.
What is the weather like in Brookdale?
July highs average 85.6°F and January lows 21.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.6 inches of precipitation a year and 28.2 inches of snow.
Does Brookdale get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brookdale since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 7, 1962. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)