Commercial Real Estate Market in Clifton, NJ
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
126 active listings and 1,336 off-market properties in Clifton, NJ. Commercial property asks $220/SF to buy and $20.35/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Clifton, NJ spans 11.2 square miles in Passaic County, New Jersey. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office space in Clifton, NJ asks $303/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 19.9% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 13.1% in 2019.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Retail
Retail space in Clifton, NJ asks $253/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 6% across the Northeast region in 2025, little changed from 6% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.1%.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Clifton, NJ runs 7.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 5.4% in 2019. Nearly 2.4x the 2021 low of 3.2%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Clifton, NJ asks $347/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 4% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 68.3%
- Industrial 16.3%
- Commercial 12%
- Planned_development 2%
- Mixed use 1.4%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Residential One Family 5000 Square Feet
Residential One And Two Family
General Industrial
Residential One Family 9375 Square Feet
Residential One Family 6600 Square Feet
Clifton, NJ zones 7,296 acres across 32 districts. Commercial zoning covers 12% of zoned land, residential 68.3% and industrial 16.3%. The largest single district is Residential One Family 5000 Square Feet at 20.2%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 28.4% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Residential One Family 5000 Square Feet (R-A3)
Conditional uses permitted in R-A1, R-A2 and R-A3 Zones, and subject to the same standards. Meeting halls and clubs as permitted in R-B2 and R-B3 Zones, and subject to the same standards. Nursery schools as permitted in the R-B2 and R-B3 Zones, and subject to the same standards. Laboratories used for research, design or experimentation, provided that no mate…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Clifton, NJ has 89,456 residents in 33,850 households. Density runs 8,009 people per square mile. Median household income here is $96,350 and median gross rent $1,671 a month.
89,456
Population
33,850
Households
2.6
Avg Household Size
40
Median Age
34%
College-Educated
89%
High-School Grad
11.2 sq mi
ZIP Area
8,009
Density / Sq Mi
$96,350
Median Household Income
$50,478
Median Earnings
$1,671
Median Rent
$431,383
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $20.35/SF/Yr lease vs $220/SF buy → buying wins if held > 1.6 years.
At a 9.2% gross asking yield the payback reads short relative to leasing. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Garfield | — | — |
| Passaic Park | — | — |
| Passaic | — | — |
| Outwater | — | — |
Commercial property in Clifton, NJ asks $220/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Clifton?
Commercial property in Clifton, NJ asks an average of $220 per square foot. The 6 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $332/SF. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $347/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Clifton?
Asking lease rates in Clifton, NJ average $20.35 per square foot per year.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Clifton?
Buying beats leasing in Clifton, NJ if the property is held longer than 1.6 years, comparing $20.35/SF/Yr asking rent with $220/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Clifton?
Clifton, NJ zones 7,296 acres across 32 districts, of which 12% is commercial and 16.3% industrial. The largest single district is Residential One Family 5000 Square Feet at 20.2% of zoned land. Conditional uses permitted in R-A1, R-A2 and R-A3 Zones, and subject to the same standards. Meeting halls and clubs as permitted in R-B2 and R-B3 Zones, and subject to the same standards. Nursery schools as permitted in the R-B2 and R-B3 Zones, and subject to the same standards. Laboratories used for research, design or experimentation, provided that no mate… Residential zoning covers 68.3% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Clifton market data come from?
Realmo compiles Clifton, NJ figures from 8 recent recorded sales, 79 active sale listings, 47 active lease listings, 1,336 tracked off-market properties, the current Clifton zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 79 active for-sale and 47 active for-lease listings in Clifton, NJ. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 7,296 zoned acres across 32 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at Northeast region level, retail vacancy is reported at Northeast region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Northeast region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
